The Death God
by dkytfan
Summary: With the melding of two souls, they became one. One cannot live without the other for if one were to die, there would be dire consequences. Hermione was determined to save Draco from the Dark Side, but in doing so, is she also committing him to a more binding and unfortunate doom? Inspired by the short story I wrote from the Hermione Draco collection.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes I know, another story I'm creating, when I haven't finished my other one yet. I was inspired from the short story I wrote and wanted to see where it would take me. This story will be darker and will slightly follow the canon and deviate later on. Hope you enjoy!**

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"He's seriously up to something and we have to find out what," Harry whispered to Ron as they stood in a more secluded hallway.

Ron nodded in agreement. "What should we do? I don't like the looks of what happened in Borgin and Burkes."

"Let's-"

"What are you two up to?" Hermione came upon them, eyeing her best friends with suspicion. "You've both been acting strange lately, talking behind my back. It isn't about Malfoy, is it?"

Harry and Ron eyed each other, confirming her suspicion.

She sighed. "Whatever you guys have on him, let him go, will you? Even if his parents are associated with Voldemort, doesn't mean he wants to be a part of it."

Ron stepped forward and said gruffly, "Hermione, can't you see that Malfoy's up to no good? He hasn't been in for meals lately and he always seems to be sneaking about. Blimey, even before school started, he-" Ron stopped then at Harry's jab to his side.

"He what?" Although a head shorter than the lanky redhead, she wasn't afraid to be challenged as she took a step closer to him.

Harry stepped in. "It's time for lunch. Let's go."

Before Hermione could say anything further, the two boys quickly walked away from her, their longer legs making it hard for her to catch up. While fuming outwardly, inside she was feeling disappointed that they were keeping secrets from her.

Before fifth year, they had always seen eye to eye on topics especially related to Voldemort and his followers. But, after the battle at the Ministry of Magic, everything changed when Dumbledore called her up to his office.

Being able to confirm that Voldemort was alive, he warned her that sometimes appearances could be deceiving. That even someone's actions could contradict their beliefs. It was up to her to decide who to help. He had the usual glint in his eyes as he spoke to her. Like he knew more than he let on. But she listened to every word he spoke. For while Dumbledore never fully explained his actions, he always saw the good in people.

So, when Harry and Ron began instigating more often that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater at the beginning of the year, Hermione had defended him by asking them if they had proof. She no longer wanted to blindly react to others based on her friends' opinions. While she valued their friendship, she also valued her gut, as weird as that sounded. Even as someone who relied on her brain more than two-thirds of the time, for some reason, her gut was telling her otherwise. And for once, she was listening to it more often.

As she tried to catch up to the two boys, she spotted the fluttering of robes and a flash of green. She stopped in her steps and turned to her right just as an awfully familiar figure disappeared around the corner.

_"Isn't that heading upstairs?"_ Hermione thought. She glanced at Harry and Ron who were walking speedily away, not even noticing that she was no longer chasing after them. Squaring her shoulders, she headed in the platinum blonde's direction.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione peeked into the next hallway around the corner and spotted Malfoy's two lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was no longer visible and she had a guess as to where he was. Straightening herself so she appeared taller and more confident, she strode toward the two boys and glared at them. "What are you both doing here? This floor is off-limits during lunch."

The two boys had scrambled up from their sitting positions and loomed over her. One of them was about to spout something but closed his mouth and opted to glare.

"Leave now before I give you detention, and you wouldn't want that now would you?" She gave them a devious smile.

They both straightened up at her threat and then scurried away.

She turned around and looked at the wall in front of her. Seeing as how fast the two left, she was sure they wouldn't have been able to signal Malfoy in anyway so she chose to wait for him to come out. There was no point in her trying to guess what he needed from the Room of Requirement.

After what seemed to be forever, the door appeared and Hermione got up from her sitting position, dusting off nothing in particular. Her nerves were getting to her as she thought about what to say when he saw her.

When he came out of the door, she was shocked at his appearance. He definitely did not look like the arrogant boy she remembered from last year. He looked like he lost a lot of weight, his cheekbones were more striking than ever. His hair was disheveled and there were dark bags under his eyes. Her brows furrowed in concern. "Malfoy, are you okay?"

He looked slightly shocked at her sudden appearance, but narrowed his eyes and chose to ignore her as he walked away. She huffed. Damn these boys. She jogged lightly toward him and grabbed his arm, pulling at his robe. He turned around and hissed at her, "What do you want, Mudblood?"

She flinched at the moniker, but held firm. "Are you okay?" She repeated, her voice slightly shaky. She didn't know why but the hallowed look in his grey eyes made her want to cry. It was as though he had lost all hope of…something. She couldn't define the feeling.

He shook her hand off and fixed his robe. He then glanced at her from under his bangs. "Get away from me before I-" he stopped mid-sentence and clenched his teeth.

She stepped closer to him, showing him that she wasn't afraid. "Before you what, huh, kill me?" She could see him flinch at those words, though he tried to obscure it with a glare.

He looked at the ground. "You won't understand. You righteous lot!" He spat before he turned away from her and left her standing stock still.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione picked at her food during dinner, mulling over what had happened between her and Malfoy. When she closed her eyes, she could recall what she had seen in the Room of Requirement before it had closed behind him. Stacks of oddities, things that were stored away and left to be forgotten. What was he doing in there that took so much of his energy?

She unconsciously glanced across the room to where he was eating his meal in silence. She frowned when she noticed that he was merely staring at it. Was he trying to starve himself to death?

"'Mione, can you be even more obvious?" Harry muttered, loud enough for only her to hear him from across the table.

She narrowed her eyes, still angry at their secrecy. "Maybe if you told me what happened, I wouldn't be like this." She hissed.

"Are you a Slytherin lover now? Going on about proof and defending Malfoy. What's wrong with you?" Ron grumbled in between gulps of food.

She directed a glare at him. "For your information, I'd like to think that everyone has their own circumstances and maybe needs someone to help them instead of being treated like a suspect." She gathered her stuff and left.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **These chapters will be fairly short depending on what's happening. They could get a little longer, but will most likely remain short. I plan to post chapters Mondays to Fridays, if there are no holidays. Enjoy! **

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Hermione stared at the concrete wall in front of her, trying to think of a way to get into the storage room.

_I really need to find something._

She peeked open one eye and slouched in disappointment.

_I need to keep something hidden._

_Hidden treasures._

_Forbidden books._

_Please?_

She thought of everything that came to mind only to groan in frustration at the doors lack of response. It was like it knew she had an ulterior motive and wouldn't let her. Flashes of the DA came to mind, when it had been the opposite and Malfoy had been trying to infiltrate.

Just as she was about to try again, she could hear the faint sound of footsteps heading her way. She quickly bent down and grabbed her lantern. Blowing it out, she tucked herself into the invisibility cloak and kept as close as she could to the wall.

Hermione squinted as the figure headed her way, the only light source coming from their wand. Of course, it was Malfoy. She was not surprised. After she confronted him during lunch yesterday, he had not missed one meal after.

_So now he's planning to come late at night._ She thought.

He approached the wall and glanced around to make sure no one was around. Slowly, Hermione could hear the movement of concrete as the Room of Requirement formed and opened its door for him.

Taking this opportunity, Hermione trailed as close to Malfoy as possible as the door closed behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

Standing by the pile of rotting books, Hermione watched with slight concern.

So that's where his snacks are disappearing to.

Malfoy put the apple in the large weirdly shaped dark cabinet that had been haphazardly placed in the middle of the aisle of other junk. She cocked her head slightly to the side. The cabinet looked familiar, like she'd read about it before. Malfoy closed the door with a creak, muttered an incantation and opened it again.

Unable to help herself she gasped as the apple haddisappeared. It was a vanishing cabinet. Her mind began to race as an idea of why he was doing this became clearer.

Her grasp didn't go unnoticed as Malfoy whipped around, steel grey eyes wide with fear and nerves. "Who is it?"

She covered her mouth with her hand, afraid that he would be able to hear her. She took a step back as he got closer and bumped into a pile of books she had forgotten was behind her. Falling over with an "oomph", the invisibility cloak revealed her legs and she was suddenly in a position where Malfoy was looming over her with his wand pointed toward her.

His eyes narrowed. "Granger?"

She scrambled up and tucked the cloak into her arms.

He sneered. "No wonder your friends with the boy-who-lived. Doing the same thing he is, sneaking around."

"Look who's talking." She retaliated. "What are you doing with that?" She pointed at the cabinet. "You're not going to-" she paused in shock as she realized that while he had been advancing on her she had backed up to another pile of forgotten items.

Pointing the wand straight at her chest, he said, "I never knew you were one for being so defenseless. Haven't Potter and Weasley given you enough warning?"

"I can take care of myself." She said defiantly while she was slowly searching for her wand in her skirt pockets. She bit the inside of her lip as she cursed silently. It must have dropped when she fell. "If anything happens to me, Harry and Ron will know its you."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed and then he barked out a laugh. "What happened to 'I can take care of myself'? What a load of crock! You can't do anything without them."

She bristled and acting on rage, she crashed into him and they both fell on the ground. In his shock, his grip on his wand loosened enough that it slid a couple of feet away from them. "Don't try to avoid my question, Malfoy." She said between clenched teeth. "I can see it." Her hands gripped his shirt. "I can see the fear in your eyes."


	6. Chapter 6

In all of Draco's sixteen years, he had never met anyone as straightforward as the pink-cheeked, bushy-haired girl on top of him.

His heartbeat quickened at her words.

_Was that how she saw me?_

She was clenching his pricy silk dress shirt, most likely wrinkling it, but at the moment, he could care less. He could only see the frustration in her eyes. They were devoid of the usual accusing stares or proud 'for the pure-blood lineage' bullcrap.

He never wanted this. He just wanted a normal school life. And yet, he was forced into this situation because of his love and duty to his parents and being scared shiteless.

At the moment, the one person he should hate the most, should seek to kill, was staring down at him with concern. Genuine concern. He didn't know why, but he slowly brought his hand up to cup her cheek and she didn't flinch.

He swallowed the lump lodged in his throat and whispered, his voice hoarse, "Save me."


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione's chocolate brown eyes widened.

_Did he just-?_

His eyes narrowed and he pushed her off.

Sitting in a kneeling position, hands on the cold floor for support, she asked him, "Malfoy, did you just-?"

"I didn't say anything." He said roughly. His eyes were once again back to being emotionless, his stance guarded. "Don't follow me in here again, Granger." He bent down to grab his wand and put it in his robe. "Don't get yourself involved in this."

He headed toward a wall where a door began forming.

"Wait!" Hermione yelled as she looked around for her wand. When she looked back up, he had already left and the door had disappeared. She groaned in frustration, stomping her feet on the cold concrete floor. She slumped back down to the floor as she recalled the way he asked her for help. His desperate look made her heart clench.

Her eyes were burning with determination now. She was dead set on saving him from whatever involved the Death Eaters and Voldemort. She glanced at the Vanishing Cabinet and shuddered at the possibilities forming in her mind.

Harry and Ron flashed in her mind.

_Bourgin and Burkes._ She remembered them whispering amongst themselves.

After finding her wand, she got up and headed toward a wall where a door was already forming. Walking with purpose, she headed toward the two people closest to her heart, dread already beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

"Alohamora." Hermione whispered as she pointed her wand at the doorknob in front of her. Hearing the light click of the door unlocking, she entered and peered around the semi-dark room where two unsuspecting victims were sleeping.

Having gone in their rooms multiple times already, she quickly headed toward Harry's bed and whispered, "Harry, Harry, wake up." She shook him a couple of times until he stirred, bleary-eyed.

"H-Hermione?" He asked, still dazed and speaking in his normal tone.

She shushed him and grabbing his wrist, dragged him toward Ron's bed, waking him up in the same method. Ron was usually a little harder to get up so she had to pinch him on the side. He yelped in surprise and looked around, scrabbling for his wand. "Hush!" She hissed as she looked around to see that the other boys were still sleeping away.

She pulled both of the boys down to the common room where a small fire was still burning and sat them down. "Now you both listen to me," she said in her most authoritative tone, "tell me what happened at Bourgin and Burkes."

The two boys, who were dazed at being woken up so suddenly in the middle of the night straightened up at the name.

"Hermione, what are you up to?" Harry asked instead, his eyes more alert now.

She crossed her arms. "I don't like how you've both been keeping secrets from me." She slumped onto one of the overstuffed sofas. "We've never hidden these sorts of things from each other before."

"Come on Hermione. You know we want to tell you everything." Ron looked to Harry who nodded his head. "It's just," he scratched his head, "you've also been distant lately."

"And you've been keeping an eye on Malfoy, a lot." She wanted to protest but at Harry's look, she stopped herself. "Don't think we haven't noticed you glancing toward the Slytherin table," Harry said sharply.

She sighed. "Alright, so we've all been…touchy lately about things, even me. I mean, Harry, you suddenly get a book that helps you excel in Potions. You've both been getting better at spells. And now you're keeping secrets from me. It makes me feel like I'm being left out. And you both know you're the only ones I have here who accept me for…well, me." She looked up at them both, feeling tears start to gather in her eyes at the sudden realization of how true her words felt. Being a girl also didn't help the matter.

The guilt in their eyes was evident and Harry got up to comfort her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Sorry, 'Mione, we won't leave you out anymore."

Hermione smiled up at him as the dread in her stomach sank further. She was already determined to help Malfoy, but she was afraid of how much she had to pull at her friendship with Harry and Ron before it completely broke.


	9. Chapter 9

"Death eaters?"

Harry nodded. "They were gathered together and Malfoy and his mother were in the middle of it all."

Hermione gulped, her fears beginning to be confirmed.

"I'm sure he has the Dark Mark on him already," Ron said vehemently, hands clenched on his pajama pants.

At the mention of the Dark Mark, Hermione remembered the flash of pale skin in the moonlight as Malfoy reached up to touch her cheeks. She remembered how the Dark Mark was usually located on the inner left forearm. Yet, his arm remained bare.

"Did you happen to see what they were gathered for?"

The two shook their heads no. "We tried to get closer, even to the top of the roof, but we didn't notice anything out of the ordinary," Harry said with regret. "Even when I snuck in him on the train, he didn't reveal one bit of his intentions."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You did what?"

Harry gave her a sheepish look. "Well, remember how I arrived late for the opening ceremony? The truth was, I snuck into the coach Malfoy was in and tried to listen in on his conversation. He caught me eavesdropping and stunned me."

"You see Hermione?" Ron got up then, sounding enthusiastic. "Malfoy's definitely up to something if he was so wary."

"We have to keep an eye on him." Harry agreed.

She gave them a thoughtful look, even though her mindset was different from their objective. She was narrowing down on everything she was learning. The gathering of the Death Eaters at Bourgin and Burkes. The vanishing cabinet. Malfoy and his bare arm. She got up suddenly surprising the two boys. She needed to gather more research. Her fingers already itching to have a book on hand.

"Let's talk more about this tomorrow." She said quietly, quite tired now.

Harry seemed to notice the sudden mood she was in. "Alright. We know you think Malfoy isn't bad, but you have to look at the facts Hermione."

She nodded, "I know and I am." She smiled at the first friend she ever made and how valuable he was to her. Even if she was going to go against him, she wanted to go on the path she trusted. That, as weird as it sounded, her gut was telling her was right.

As she bid her two best friends goodnight, she headed to her room mind still racing. She could still save him. She still had time. For how long, she didn't know. But, one thing she knew for sure. He wasn't marked yet. Not connected to that monster yet. Her hands clenched together tightly.

It was definitely time for her to pay another visit to the Restricted Section, and soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far! It really fuels me in knowing you are enjoying this! Things are going to start picking up as Hermione continues down her decisions in saving Draco. Whether it's for the worst or for the best, we shall see!**

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The next night, Hermione once again slipped on the invisibility cloak, lit her lantern, and headed for the library. One of the places she loved the most in Hogwarts. As she hurriedly walked down the open hallways and past the courtyard, she almost missed the lone figure sitting on one of the railings staring wistfully at the waning gibbous that illuminated the surroundings. For a moment, she almost thought of him as an ethereal being. With his pale skin, platinum blonde hair, he looked like he was glowing.

As she absently stared at him, while unconsciously heading toward the library, she didn't realize that the invisibility cloak had slipped off her head until he looked in her direction and snorted.

She looked at him still slightly dazed.

"There's no point in hiding from you." He said, his eyes lost in thought as he went back to stare at the moon. He then looked down at her, as she approached, with half-lidded eyes. "What is the great Hermione Granger thinking of doing now? Moving from freeing the house elves to saving the pitiful and cowardly Slytherin?"

"I've…learned to leave them alone," Hermione muttered. Even after all her efforts, she learned how foolish she had been in forcing the house elves when it was in their nature to help others and something most actually enjoyed doing. Although, she did like to advocate for the few she knew who wanted to have the same rights as witches and wizards.

He smirked. "Then there's hope for me."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He got off the railing and leaned against it. "That you'll give up eventually."

She gritted her teeth. "I won't give up. What will make you understand that?"

"Why are you so insistent on helping me? Why can't you leave me alone?" He started to sound desperate and she felt her heart swell when she began to see something glimmer in his eyes.

"Because I know you can be good, Malfoy. I know you're afraid, we're all afraid. But you, you have a higher burden to bear. You are tied in a way that you feel you can't be freed from. But I'll help you find a way. I'll help you be free."

His eyes widened and then he gave her a bitter smile. "You've always been like this. Always trying to help those who don't want to be helped." With that, he walked away and she watched him head toward the dungeons.

_He never said I couldn't help him._


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione rubbed her forehead in frustration the next day when she sat down in Potions.

"Are you okay?" the soft voice of her partner, Andrea Hill, asked.

"Yeah," Hermione mumbled, tiredly.

She had spent almost the whole night searching for some sign of how she could help Malfoy. Of how she could prove to not only him, but Harry, Ron, and even the Order that he could be good. That he could join their side. And maybe in the process save his parents, or at least his mother. She had a feeling he was a mother's boy even though he mostly spouted off nonsense about his father.

"Settle down." Snape appeared, his eyes narrowed as he glanced around at the students in his class. "Today, we will be working on a potion that has many complicated steps to complete. Open your book to page 200."

Tired, Hermione opened up her book and her eyes widened.

_The Reciprocity Potion._

"The Reciprocity Potion?" Ron voiced aloud, sounding confused.

"Five points from Gryffindor." Snape drawled, looking down on Ron. "This potion has many benefits." His eyes landed on Hermione's for a moment, which surprised her for she had said nothing, before turning toward the chalkboard which was beginning to write down notes. "Reciprocal, meaning mutual, given or felt by each toward the other. If one were to take the potion with another and there was compatibility, they would be able to read each other's emotions, maybe even their minds."

As he continued lecturing about the ingredients, Hermione's mind started whirring as she remembered briefly seeing a book in the Restricted Section about this topic, except that it was a dark arts book, which was why she had looked past it. She clenched her hands into a tight fist. She would have to visit the Restricted Section again and hopefully soon. Her heart quickened slightly as she recalled those wistful grey eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

When Hermione approached the hallway of the Room of Requirement, she was surprised to see Malfoy leaning against the opposite wall, as though he was waiting.

_Waiting for me?_

She stopped, but he turned and looked straight at her. Like he could sense, possibly see, her? She shook her head. No, he couldn't. She was still under the invisibility cloak.

"Granger, if you're there, I'd rather see you than have you skulking about." He commented, as though to confirm her thoughts.

She gulped and pulled the invisibility cloak off, folding it neatly into her arms. He raised a brow at the care she took. "What?" she asked defensively. "It's not mine so I want to make sure it's under good condition."

He smirked and headed toward the wall where a large door began forming. "Are you coming?" He asked when she stood stock-still.

Unconsciously, her legs carried her forward, until she was walking almost side by side with him. He stopped in front of the vanishing cabinet. "I'm sure you've read up on it." It wasn't really a question.

She nodded, staring at the looming container.

He started clapping. "Well done, Granger, you've managed to solve everything."

She looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"My mission." He said, matter-of-factly. "So, what do you plan to do now? How do you plan to 'save me'?" His tone was sarcastic.

She took a deep breath and pulled out the book that she had taken from the Restricted Section.

His eyes narrowed. "That's a dark arts book. You shouldn't be reading those."

She shrugged. "Says the one who's trying to bring Death Eaters here." She waved at the vanishing cabinet.

He crossed his arms. "What do you plan to do with that?"

Hermione looked down at her shoes. The moon shining brighter than ever into the room, as though lighting her way. "Well, yesterday, Professor Snape had us make a Reciprocity Potion." She hesitated.

"And?"

"The reciprocity potion, if effective, allows one to feel the emotions even thoughts of the other. And so, I remembered seeing this book but brushed it off. It's a book about creating connections." She bit her lip as she looked up at him.

Understanding began to dawn on him. "What difference would it make?"

"They trust me." She said. "Harry, Ron, even the Order, trusts me. If I'm able to create some kind of connection with you, I could prove to them that you're not bad. That you're just in a bad situation. Then, maybe they'll help you, even help your family out."

He snorted. "Granger, you hardly know anything about me. All these six years, we've always been butting heads."

"Then help me understand you." She persisted. "Show me who you really are, Malfoy. Not the arrogant jerk who believes power is everything through wealth and bloodlines."

"And what if I do believe in those things? Would you still help me?" He challenged her.

She stood firm. "I can be the judge of that."

He clenched and then unclenched his hands as though he was thinking of some way to retaliate. Finally, he slumped down onto the ground in defeat, leaning against the vanishing cabinet. "Fine, not like it'll help you in any way."

She brightened at his resignation. Finally, she was getting somewhere. She carefully went to sit next to him with enough space so as not to invade his personal bubble, the book tucked securely in her arms. This was her chance. Her chance to save Draco Malfoy. Her chance to protect her beloved school. Her chance to just be her and not entwined as the Golden Trio.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: A little moment from Draco's perspective before we get more into the meat of things. Enjoy!**

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"Favorite pastime?"

"Reading." Draco stared at Granger's shocked expression and smirked. "You thought I was going to say quidditch?"

"I just thought, you know, with your competitiveness toward Harry…" she began mumbling.

"While playing quidditch is enjoyable, gaining knowledge from books is more useful for my…future." He looked down at his hands that were hanging loosely on top of his knees.

_Whatever future I may have left._

"-book?"

He turned to her slightly confused, as he had been lost in thought.

"What's your favorite book?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, in particular, has really grabbed my attention." He stared up at the high windows. "All the books I've read so far have been on the shallow end. But I guess that's what you would expect when the majority of my parents' library consists of stories about power or the pureblood lineage. 'How to be a proper wealthy gentleman'. All that bullshite."

"How about here?" She turned toward him, eyes glowing. "The library has lots of books on various topics. I was surprised when I saw they even had a section for muggle literature."

He raised a brow. "You really think I could afford to explore the library when I have eyes watching my every movement?"

Her eyes lit with realization. "Is that why Crabbe and Goyle follow you around so much more closely now?"

He nodded briskly.

She snorted. "Some friends they are."

"Shouldn't you be able to tell already, Granger? There's no such thing as camaraderie in Slytherin. We take what we need and use whoever to achieve it."

"Hermione."

"What?"

"I'm Hermione. And your Draco." Her large chocolate brown eyes stared right into his and he looked away. Her expression was always so open and honest. She wasn't afraid to voice what was on her mind. Sometimes he hated her vulnerability. But other times, he wanted to be the same.

She continued to stare at him, expectant. "Hermione." He said slowly and she smiled.

As they continued talking about random topics that came to mind, Draco was surprised when he noticed the moon was receding and the sky was getting lighter. He knew that he should've felt some form of panic that he hadn't once thought about fixing the vanishing cabinet, but for some reason, as he stared at the brunette next to him, he felt like a burden had been slightly lifted off his shoulders.

Hermione got up and smoothed her robes. "Alright then, I'll see you later tonight?" She extended her hand toward him.

As they both stared into each other's eyes, grey clashing with brown, he wondered about this delicate relationship. His hand slowly, unconsciously, raised up to grab hers and he was surprised at how warm and small they felt. Relief was written in her features as she held the book tightly in her arms, as though suddenly sure of her decision.

"What's on your mind?" He asked quietly.

"Well, I was wondering. If you could get away from your…mates, would you like to join me in the library during your free period? I noticed that you have fourth period free. There's actually a small area in the library that I know for sure students rarely frequent." She started speaking hastily. "And this text is relatively complex from my overview of it." She stopped abruptly and bit her lip, a habit he noticed she made when she was nervous or possibly bashful.

He stared down at her small frame, unsure of the strange emotions welling up inside of him.

"I'll see what I can do."


	14. Chapter 14

When Draco met up with Hermione in the library, it wasn't the next day, but a week later. He had been busy with his own agenda. As he glanced at Hermione who was sitting next to him, he also realized that he had been nervous to meet with her again. Basically, he had been avoiding her and she seemed to have sensed that as she hadn't said anything when he had finally found her in a secluded section that was surrounded by bookshelves. Like a personal area that had been made just for them.

"I've been having trouble reading this." She muttered as she flipped over the pages. "I've been trying various spells to make the text more readable, but it's no use. It's like it's enchanted or something."

Draco finally perused the book and saw that Hermione hadn't been lying when she said she had difficulty. He felt a slight twinge. So, she really did need help.

As she explained, the text was barely discernible. For whatever reason, when he tried to concentrate and focus on the words, he only felt a sort of dizziness or headache forming, like the moments he felt when he thought too much or didn't get enough sleep. Hermione had given him control over flipping the pages since she had already gone through the book a couple of times.

"Wait!" Hermione stopped Draco by grabbing his hand. He stopped abruptly, gulping at the warmth he felt again.

"Colesco Coniugo?"

Following her gaze, he was surprised when the text began forming more clearly in front of him.

_Colesco Coniugo_

_The soul is a delicate being bound to a form of living_

_The energy that radiates strong enough to burn_

_Can also bind with that of another_

_In doing so, each half shall bind_

_And shall forever be entwined_

_To connect, there must be a mutual understanding_

_Of not only the mind, but of the heart_

_To fuse, one must be of the same body_

_Joined by the rays of the sun high in the sky_

_To intertwine, when the sun and moon are joined_

_So shall the two souls in Colesco Coniugo_

_Once joined, one cannot live without the other_

"Join together?" Draco muttered.

Hermione re-read the text, her eyes gleaming with hope. "This," she pointed to the riddle, "this can prove to everyone that you can be on our side."

Draco massaged his temple. "Don't you think it's strange that suddenly, we're able to read this part of the text, but everything else is a blur?" To confirm, he flipped to the next page only receive an onslaught of blurry letters and a headache beginning to form.

Hermione shrugged. "The book could've just been enchanted to show us what we are looking for."

Draco stared at her in disbelief. She continued to surprise him. Although, if he thought about it, she had gone through a lot the past few years. Being thrown into situations she had no control over. But, he thought that would make her more cautious than ever. He sighed. "You know, this riddle implies that we would be connected. Until the day we die. Why would you be willing to do that for someone like me?" He had been questioning her motive since she started following him around and distracting him from his mission.

_Can someone really selflessly risk their life for another?_

"To connect, there must be a mutual understanding of not only the mind but also the heart." Hermione read aloud. "If you really want to know my reason, then let's create a connection."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't mean-"

She nodded. "I've already successfully completed the potion once. I've memorized the steps and with Harry's help, I found an easier method."

Draco gulped. "I never expected you to be this impulsive…Hermione."

She smiled at him. "I've learned that sometimes, it takes a leap of faith to push yourself forward. Something that cannot be achieved from only reading."

_Will you take it with me? The leap of faith._

* * *

**End Note: And so, it begins. **


	15. Chapter 15

"How could you?!" Hermione hissed at Draco in the hallway of the Room of Requirement.

Draco raised a brow. "What?"

"I can't believe you are still carrying out tasks for Voldemort! I thought your only mission was to fix the cabinet!" Her face was flushed red with anger and a tinge of betrayal.

His eyes narrowed. "I may have accepted that you'll do anything to help me get out of this situation. But, if I don't carry out these tasks, it'll make me look even more suspicious. I don't have the luxury of slacking."

She bit the bottom of her lip, wanting to say something but knowing he was right. It just made her so frustrated. Especially when a close friend of hers could have gotten killed.

"Shouldn't you be happy with this progress?" He smirked.

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "What do you mean?"

He leaned against the wall. "I heard that Weasley confessed his love to you. Broke that poor Daisy's heart."

Her cheeks flushed an even darker shade of red as she recalled Lavender running out of the hospital room when she saw Ron calling out her name and holding her hand. "Ron was just being delusional. He's still recovering. I'm sure him and Lavender will make up."

He looked down at her. "Are you so sure he's dating Daisy-"

"It's Lavender." Hermione interrupted.

He looked at her irritated expression and sighed. "Fine, are you so sure that he's dating Lavender because he likes her? Or maybe," He leaned down until he was eye to eye with her, "he's doing it to make you jealous?"

She stood firm, despite the intimacy. "I only think of Ron as a friend, nothing more. And, I'm sure he does the same too." She said the last part hesitantly. "Besides, that's none of your business."

She started searching her robes until she pulled out a small vial. "Let's head into the Room of Requirement. We need to start this soon before it's too late."

He looked down at her carefully, expression unreadable. Putting his hands into his pocket, he walked to the wall of the Room of Requirement where a door was already starting to form. Following behind him, Hermione was surprised at how cool he was behaving lately. There no longer seemed to be that same fear he was exhibiting anymore. He seemed determined about something and she hoped it was to complete this ritual, not bring demise to Hogwarts.


	16. Chapter 16

"Did it work yet?" Hermione asked after recovering from the bitter taste of the potion.

Draco leaned against the vanishing cabinet. "You're the one who looked into it further."

She bristled slightly with irritation. "Fine. Are you feeling any different? Like maybe a connection or something?"

He closed his eyes for a moment head tilting slightly to the side as though expecting something to happen. His grey eyes slid open.

"Nothing. I knew this wouldn't work."

"It will work." Hermione said vehemently.

Draco looked at her with eyes slightly wide. Her eyes were closed tight. "What did you say?"

She opened her eyes then. "I said it will work."

"Did you just hear what I said?"

She tilted her head slightly to the side, "what do you mean? Of course, I did. You were talking."

He kept his mouth shut this time.

_"No. I wasn't."_

She gasped.

_"No way! Can you read my mind?"_

He shook his head in confirmation.

Hermione was about to cheer with glee when she felt a sudden burning sensation on her inner left wrist. She winced in pain as she felt as though something was carving something with fire on her skin. Looking at Draco, she saw that his brows were furrowed, as though he was resisting the urge to show pain.

She gasped aloud when the pain finally stopped. It felt like forever when in reality it was probably only a couple of seconds. Looking down at her wrist, she noticed the shape of a waning crescent moon in the color of red on her pale skin. "Do you-" She spluttered, feeling at a loss for words.

He nodded as he also brought his wrist next to hers, except his was in the opposite direction with a waxing crescent moon shaped scar.

They both looked at each other, eyes wide. "Does this mean, the ritual has started?" Hermione breathed.

"I believe so." His expression was curious now as he studied the bright red mark. "Imagine the Dark Lord's surprise if he saw this in the place of where the Dark Mark should be."

Hermione ignored his comment as she took out the book.

_"To fuse, one must be of the same body joined by the rays of the sun high in the sky."_

_"Ever the scholar, Granger."_ She looked up at his deadpan expression, brows raised. Guess they were going to speak silently now. Although she felt safer this way, being able to talk through each other's mind. She ignored the fact that this meant they were somehow connected in a more intimate way.

_"Intimate, huh?"_ She looked up at him in surprise. _"I can read your mind, Granger. Guess you can't hide anything from me anymore."_

She glared at him. _"Hermione. And you can't hide anything either."_ She smiled sweetly at him. _"I always knew you were a momma's boy."_


	17. Chapter 17

The sun was once again starting to rise on the horizon and Hermione was starting to wonder when the effects of the potion would wear off.

_"What did Snape say?"_

_"He never really mentioned when it would wear off and from my research there was no mention of it either. I just assumed, with almost any potion, that it would wear off soon. I mean, it's been at least four hours now."_

The two of them had been dissecting the meaning behind the next step of the Colesco Coniugo. They at least figured that the 'sun high in the sky' meant most likely around noon, but 'be of the same body' was confusing.

The thought of something more intimate crossed her mind and Draco smirked, leaning in closer to her. "Do you want to give it a try?" He said aloud.

She punched him lightly on the arm and pushed him away. "I highly doubt we need to be that intimate."

_"I think this is plenty intimate already, don't you?"_

She gulped for what he was saying was true. Being able to read each other's minds and even how they were feeling was revealing so much more than she wanted. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, trying not to think about the emotions exuding from him.

He suddenly got up. "No use pondering about this further in here. Let's give it a day or two to think about, then we can meet up here again."

Hermione nodded. This time, he held his hand out to her and she stared at him in slight surprise.

_"What? I have to be an arse all the time?"_

She giggled at his comment and grabbed his hand. Her small hand gripping onto his larger ones. Her heartbeat quickened at how much softer his expression appeared. She could feel the warmth of his body as he came closer to her, looming over her and she had to tilt her head upwards to look at him. The book she was holding fell out of her hand, startling them both. She laughed, her voice slightly shaky.

"We'll see each other in two days time." With that, it was her turn to escape as she walked briskly out of the Room of Requirement. She paused in front of the doors closing behind her, breathing slightly heavily, unsure of why her heart was pounding so fast. Even though she'd only really gotten to know Draco within the past few weeks, she felt like she'd learn so much more about him than the past six years. His likes, dislikes, the hobbies he enjoyed. The fear he felt tinged with slight hope. Her heart squeezed. The hope that she lit within him. She tightened her hold on her book, hoping that she wouldn't disappoint him. No, she couldn't disappoint him. He was becoming a very dear friend to her and she hoped that they could continue with their relationship for she rather enjoyed someone who could hold a conversation with her about something other than quidditch.


	18. Chapter 18

Hermione was happy that the further away she was from Draco, the less she could feel his thoughts and emotions. She was sure it was the same for him. That meant his presence wouldn't always be there. As her thoughts were a mile away, she didn't notice Harry until she bumped into him. He held her by the shoulders to stop her from tripping. "Woah there Hermione, is everything okay?"

Hermione nodded. "It's been a long day."

"I'll say. Where were you all night?"

"I was in the library finishing up on homework that's due in a couple of weeks. You know how I hate to get behind." She said smoothly, the lies becoming easier now. She didn't know whether that was good or bad, just that she felt guiltier every time.

He shook his head slightly with a smile. "You're always at the top of your game. I was just heading over to check on Ron before heading to breakfast. Wanna join me?"

She nodded.

There was a moment of comfortable silence until Harry spoke up. "Hermione, I know you'll get angry with me, but I think we should set up a schedule to watch Malfoy."

She looked up at him. "But I'm already watching him as we agreed." Ever since the two boys told her about Borgin and Burkes, Hermione had assigned herself to keep an eye on Draco, as the two were busy with quidditch and Harry had other things to worry about with Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore. She had been passing along notes of the activities Draco was doing and sometimes she made them sound slightly suspicious just so they wouldn't think that she was being soft on the Slytherin. Some tidbits on where he goes and who he hangs with, but of course, never on his nightly activities. Of course, to make sure Draco continued to trust him, she also relayed this news to him and surprisingly he could come up with some creative ways to mess with her two best friends' minds, not that she wrote every single one of them down. Her heart tinged slightly with disappointment again at the fact that Draco was still trying to carry out his missions. She wished he would have told him then that would have brought less harm to her friends.

"I know," Harry sighed as he pushed some of his tousled hair out of his eyes, "but Ron got hurt recently and I feel like we should amp up on monitoring him."

"Harry, we can't watch him 24 hours a day. It wasn't our fault. You have to stop feeling like everything's on you." Hermione stopped in her tracks. "We're all in this together, helping you in every way to make sure Voldemort doesn't get his way in the end." She grabbed his hands. "You have to trust me in this." She pleaded, her eyes silently communicating that he should leave everything about Draco to her.

After what felt like forever as he studied her, he sighed. "Alright. I just don't want anything to happen to you and I don't want to lose you. I don't know what I would do if you also got hurt." He said softly. She could see the vulnerability in his eyes. Like her, his emotions were always bare. And he looked exhausted. Having to take on Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and even working with the Order was taking a toll on him. He was only 16, but he had so much to bear. Hermione hugged him tightly, wincing slightly at the pain on her inner wrist.

After a moment, they began walking again and Hermione smiled. "So, how's everything going with Ginny?"

He groaned, but a smile was already starting to form on his lips.


	19. Chapter 19

Draco played with the food in front of him, still having no appetite, as he pondered over the next step to the riddle.

"The reason why you're thinking skills are so low is cause you aren't eating."

He directed his gaze to Hermione from across the room. She was staring at him with her usual know-it-all look.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on your friends there? Weasley's been giving you googly eyes."

Her cheeks flushed and she turned away from him.

Being able to read her mood was definitely helpful in understanding her better. At his comment, he could tell she was feeling embarrassed about the whole situation between her and Weasley. And maybe even some awkwardness, like she didn't know how to handle the situation.

"If you only like him as a friend, you should straight up tell him before he gets anymore ideas."

"I know." She said, slightly annoyed with how much he could read her emotions. "It's just, I don't want to make anything awkward between us three."

He looked at the two boys, whose backs were turned toward him.

"I really don't understand the relationship you have with them both."

"Well, I don't understand how you could be with 'friends' who can turn their backs on you so easily."

They both looked at each other. Draco's studying her closely while Hermione stubbornly tried not to break contact. He conceded first, knowing how stubborn she was. "Have you thought about the riddle?"

"Yes, I have." She spoke hesitantly. "Have you ever heard of a blood pact?"


	20. Chapter 20

Draco looked through another ancient book Hermione had found from the Restricted Section. "How do you even manage to find these?"

"Perseverance." Hermione simply answered. She leaned closer toward him. "What do you think?"

He skimmed over the vague description:

_To make a blood pact, one must connect their blood with another through their wand. From the connection of one's being, they will share a pact that can never be broken._

"Don't you think this ties in with the _Colesco Coniugo_ ritual?" She said excitedly.

"If we make a pact, it would be unbreakable. But what kind of pact?" Draco muttered.

"To never harm and protect one another, of course. Be wholly committed to each other." Hermione said firmly. It looked like she had given it some thought.

He frowned.

"If we vow to protect one another, that means you can't go against me, you would have to continue fighting by my side. We would have to agree on things together. That would prove to everyone you're on our side." She elaborated.

"Then once I make this bond with you, I can no longer carry out the missions given to me by the Dark Lord. He would find out and that would mean he would kill my mother." His expression darkened, but he knew she could feel the fear within him. He could care less about his father, but his mother had always been pulled along. She was different from her sister, not so obsessed with purebloods reigning or obsessed with gaining the Dark Lord's favor.

Suddenly Hermione's warm hands enveloped his. "Once we complete the ritual. We'll talk to Professor Dumbledore. He'll understand. And, your mother knows you best right? I think I have an idea of how we can help her."

He looked at the petite girl in front of him, still amazed at how he had suddenly garnered someone so willing to help him with no malice in mind. Despite her emotions being displayed to him through the bond, he still had trouble defining them. All he could feel was warmth and reassurance. An array of emotions he could get lost in. He took a deep breath. He was already in it knee-deep, and he knew she would not let him go even if he gave up.

"Let's begin the next step."


	21. Chapter 21

During lunch the next day, Hermione quickly headed outside toward the path that led to the Black Lake. They were going to meet by a large tree overlooking the lake, but would also block them from curious onlookers. It was the most private area Hermione could think of.

As she waited by the tall tree, she looked over the book again to make sure they completed the steps correctly.

"Hermione?"

The bushy-haired teen looked up in a panic and saw Harry heading toward her with a confused expression.

"I thought you were headed to the library?"

She quickly shut the book and smiled. "I was, but then I heard that Dr-Malfoy was heading here with his friends so I wanted to spy on him." Once she saw Harry, she knew immediately why she thought of this area in the first place. It was where her, Ron, and Harry used to hang out. Where she would be quietly reading a book and Ron and Harry would throw rocks into the lake wondering if they were going to awaken something. They had stopped as they became too busy with the Order and Harry was taking on more lessons from Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

He raised a brow. "Really?" He came up to her and looked at the book in her hand. "What's that?"

She was thankful that the book contained no title and the symbols on the front cover were barely discernible. "Just additional source material."

He nodded slowly and decided then to plop down onto the ground and sit. Not wanting to give anything away, she sat down slowly next to him. Internally, she was searching for Draco, hoping that once he came close enough, she could warn him to stay away.

"You're lying about spying on Malfoy aren't you?" Her heart thumped faster as Harry looked at her. Suddenly, he smiled. "I bet you just wanted some time to yourself to enjoy this nice weather."

Her rather tense shoulders relaxed. "I guess you could say that." She looked at her worn-out friend. "How's lessons going with Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape?"

He shrugged. "Professor Dumbledore is as cryptic as ever with the things he's been telling me. Professor Snape, well," his expression darkened, "let's just say he acts like he has an agenda to get at me." He rubbed his forehead. "It's just mentally exhausting."

She looked at him with a sad expression and hugged him. "It's okay. You know they're only looking out for you. Making sure that you're prepared for the moment Voldemort strikes."

After what happened to Sirius, Professor Dumbledore had insisted that Harry stop with occlumency practice, but to their surprise, Harry said he wanted to continue. Although he didn't like Professor Snape's method of teaching, his godfather's death took a toll on him and he felt guilty for letting Voldemort mess with his mind so easily.

"I feel him less now, so I guess that's progress." Harry smiled, trying to reassure her.

There was a peaceful silence amongst the two as they stared at the lake. The sun was shimmering over the murky water as though trying to reveal what was hidden underneath.

Hermione was relieved that she had decided to come earlier than the expected time.

"You've been avoiding Ron." Harry commented.

She looked at him with a sheepish expression. "So, you've noticed?"

He nodded. "It's not that hard to figure out, seeing as every time he tries to talk to you or you're both alone you keep the conversation short."

She held the book in her hands tighter to her chest and bit her lip. "I just don't want to make things more awkward if you know, he decides to profess his love for me. That's what he plans to do right?"

"More or less." Harry said nonchalantly.

Hermione hit him lightly on the arm. "Hey, this is a serious matter." She looked down at her feet. "I mean, what do you think?"

"About the two of you?"

Hermione nodded.

He snorted. "I think you would match Malfoy more than Ron."

At his comment her heart sped. "W-what do you mean?" She asked, her voice merely a whisper now.

Luckily he was still looking at the lake. "Well, I hate to admit it, but no matter how cowardly Malfoy is, he's smart. I'm sure you've both been neck and neck when it comes to academics. If you were both to butt heads academically, you would be on equal level. Also, he's not as hot headed as Ron, I'm sure he can handle your," he hesitated, but forged on, "you know, your usual know-it-all and stubborn…personality. I feel like if we weren't caught up in all of this, you both would've actually made an interesting couple." He finished.

Hermione gulped. "So, in short, you're saying Ron's an idiot and can't handle me well?"

Harry laughed and shrugged. "I feel like we were brought together because of extenuating circumstances and Ron does have his moments, but if you were to make a good couple? I would say you would last a day."

She pushed him then and started laughing. Harry was definitely maturing from his own hot-headed personality. Who wouldn't when faced with a possible impending doom and carrying the burden of many lives on his hand?

"What do we have here?" Hermione's heart stopped at the drawl and she turned to her right to see Draco standing there with his usual haughty façade.


	22. Chapter 22

In her moment of talking with Harry, she had been so caught up that she hadn't sensed him or read his mind. Unless, he had been deliberately allowing her to read his mind and emotions in the first place. She had remembered reading about pure bloodlines and how the Malfoys were known for excelling in occlumency. She didn't know why the thought had only occurred to her.

He looked at her carefully, studying her reaction.

Harry got up and stood next to Hermione who had done the same. "Bug off, Malfoy."

Hermione looked between the two boys, unsure of what to do.

"Please, Draco. Now's not the time to talk to Harry about our plans. Not until we complete the ritual." She looked at the platinum blonde with pleading eyes. "And provoking him will only make the situation worst."

"I guess I can't even find a place to relax." He finally remarked. "We'll have to meet at a different place tomorrow."

When he left, Harry relaxed his tense shoulders. "You were right."

"What?" Hermione asked, heart still racing.

"That he was going to come here. He must be planning something again." Harry's expression continued to remain suspicious whenever it involved Draco.

Hermione bit her lip. "But he came alone so maybe he did just want to relax."

"Or he's doing things on his own. Do you really think he would trust his 'mates' to have his back?"

Hermione couldn't answer because she knew Harry was right. Draco had always had his own back. But inside, she secretly hoped he was leaning a little toward depending on her. "You should give him a chance to explain himself." She said quietly.

"What?"

"You've always immediately assumed he was a bad person. Since the first year."

Harry looked bewildered at her sudden reaction. "He started it." He finally said, quite childishly.

"Have you ever looked past the external appearance he shows everyone? You've always been known as the boy-who-lived, the person who could defeat Voldemort and you hate that. You wish everyone could just see you for you. Have you ever once thought to yourself that maybe Draco feels the same? That maybe he also has his own burdens to carry but can't talk to anyone about it? You know, you should at least talk to him once. You've noticed him, even told me that we could be a good match. Maybe, if you gave him a chance, you'll see that what he really needs is someone who is willing to help him out."

With that she left, still bristling with anger, leaving Harry speechless.


	23. Chapter 23

Draco was standing a little ways off listening to their last bit of conversation. When Hermione stormed off and was heading in his direction, he whistled low, "You knocked one into him. Never seen you in a fight with Potter before."

"Don't get me started on you." Hermione said between clenched teeth as she walked past him.

Being more courageous than he felt, he walked alongside her. "I never thought I would see the day that the Hermione Granger would defend me." He dramatically placed a hand by his heart.

"If you weren't such an arse all the time, I'm sure you would have more friends defending you."

"You know I can't afford that." His tone was quieter now.

Hermione stopped in her tracks to look at him. Various emotions were burning within that small body of hers, which Draco always found interesting to dissect. Anger, frustration, and a tinge of hurt?

"Are you hiding more than you let on?" She whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't sense you approaching at all and we're bonded." She unconsciously lifted her wrist for him to see. "If you're able to hide your emotions, have you been doing so from the start?"

He was surprised to see that tears were suddenly welling up in her eyes, that she was definitely feeling hurt at how vulnerable she was to him, yet he could hide his vulnerability at any time.

Realizing that they were out in the open, he pulled her behind some of the rubble of ancient buildings that were still scattered around the grounds. Brushing his usual slicked-back hair, he muttered, "I haven't."

"Haven't what?"

"I haven't hidden anything from you. Honestly, I only wanted to test it out, to see if I could hide my thoughts and emotions from you. Lo and behold, it worked."

"So, you'll continue to hide them from now on." She was no longer looking at him, only looking down at her feet. He could suddenly see how small she was and wondered at how she could take on so many responsibilities. "It's because I care, okay?" It seemed she could sense his question. "I just love caring about people, especially those who don't want help. I can't help it."

"I know." He said softly and moved in closer to her. "The truth is, before I walked down to meet you, I saw Potter heading your way. I didn't know if I should come anymore, so I hid. Then, I heard your conversation about Weasley. About us." He swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous "It really did get me thinking, what would have happened if there was no evil force tearing us apart. What if we only had to worry about school and class rivalry?" He was so close now that she was forced to look up at him. Her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, but as usual, she held her ground. "Could you and I possibly…be together?"

He could feel her mind racing a mile a minute and with satisfaction, watched as her cheeks began burning a bright pink color. She backed slightly away from him only to be met by the stone wall behind her. "What is with me and bumping into things?" She mumbled, but there was a slight smile on her face now. She suddenly held out her hand and Draco, reacting to the heat of the moment, grasped her hand. "I don't really know anything about love, but I can say for sure that you've become a really important friend to me. We can start with that, can't we?


	24. Chapter 24

"Ready?" Hermione's heart was beating fast.

Draco had found a more secluded area near the Black Lake. They were surrounded by trees and the lake was a couple of feet away.

He nodded.

They were standing across from each other. They used their wands to make a cut on their wrists near the mark. Then, using the wand, they pulled out some of their blood. It was weird for Hermione to see her blood floating in the air. Sure, she had gone through many cuts and bruises before. Even healing Harry and Ron. But seeing her blood floating, exposed, was strange. It was a part of her. A part that kept her alive.

Silently, they both entwined their blood together until they no longer knew whose blood was whose.

"To protect and never betray nor harm." They both whispered.

Their blood formed into a ball and stayed in a floating position between the two. Hermione tilted her head slightly to the side, wondering if that was it. Just as she was about to ask Draco, the blood suddenly split and flew right toward their chests. Too shocked at what was happening, Hermione suddenly felt a burning in her chest where her heart was. Unable to handle the pain any longer, she fell to her knees and bent her body in a child's pose. It was a searing pain, as though something was carving into her. When the pain started to subside, she lifted her head to see Draco was clutching the tree to his side.

"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered. The pain that had felt so horrible was now entirely gone.

He nodded.

Just as they were about to breathe a sigh of relief, they both suddenly felt the same amount of pain on their wrists. Hermione gripped her inner wrist tightly as though hoping the pain would subside from the pressure. Tears welling up in her eyes, she was wondering how long the pain would last until it began to subside again. Wiping her eyes, she now saw that it was a half-moon shape. Breathing heavily, she made her way toward Draco and they both held their wrists next to each other.

"A half-moon." Too tired to speak, Hermione stared at Draco in the eyes. He also looked exhausted. This ritual was definitely taking more and more from them.

"One last step." He breathed out.

Their foreheads were pressed against each other now, and they were holding onto each other for support.

"What do you think will be different now?" She wanted to take a nap now, relieved that they had done the ritual correctly, her usual niggling curiosity coming out.

"We'll probably find out when it happens."


	25. Chapter 25

Hermione made her way back to the Gryffindor tower listlessly, still drained from the ritual. In her vulnerable state, she didn't notice Ron come up from behind her until he was walking alongside her. "Hey, Hermione." He looked a little nervous, scratching his head. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much." She mumbled. Despite having avoided him the past few days, she didn't have the energy to come up with an excuse now.

"Oh," he looked hopeful, "would you mind joining me for the next trip down to Hogsmeade this coming weekend?"

"Sure. Is Harry coming along?"

"I'm not sure, I can ask him. Maybe he can sneak along with us again." He answered, although there was a slight look of disappointment on his features that she failed to notice.

She patted his shoulder and smiled, "do that."

They had reached the Fat Lady and she muttered the password, 'gingersnaps'. Before Ron could comment any further, she felt herself drifting toward the stairway that led to the girls' rooms.

"Okay, see you later then." He stood awkwardly in the common room.

Hermione nodded absentmindedly, the only goal right now was to get some rest.


	26. Chapter 26

As Hermione headed down the path that led to Hogsmeade with her dormmates, she vaguely felt like she was forgetting something. That is, until she spotted Ron a ways down, waiting. When he spotted her, his expression brightened and he waved.

"Hermione, I think Ron is waving at you," Parvati whispered. "Were you supposed to hang with him today?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the brief promise she had made to him the other day while in a daze. "Oh, yes. Him, Harry, and I promised to go around Hogsmeade today." She explained as Parvati eyed her suspiciously. She was best friends with Lavender and while the twin wasn't one to resent her, she didn't want to cause any further rifts in their relationship.

Parvati nodded in understanding, knowing how much the three hung out together, especially during trying times.

"I'll see you guys later," Hermione said. She headed towards Ron, knowing she would no longer be able to avoid him and would have to talk to him about their relationship sooner or later anyway. "Hey Ron," she tried to smile but felt like it came out faker than she intended. She didn't know how to be around him anymore and they had been best friends for five years.

They both continued down the path together and she looked around when she didn't notice any invisible footsteps forming by them. "Where's Harry?"

"He said he'll meet us down there in a bit. You know, don't want to get caught and all that."

There was a sudden silence and Hermione tried to look anywhere but at her friend. What was she supposed to say? The last time someone expressed interest in her, she hid behind her books. But, she didn't have any books to protect her this time.

"Hermione," Ron started, "do you think we could take a moment to talk?" He looked slightly nervous and despite the colder weather now, she was sure he wasn't turning red because of it.

She felt her heart speeding up and not in anticipation but in dread. She nodded.

He stepped off the pathway and following him, they headed toward the area by the Shrieking Shack. He was fiddling slightly with the rim of his robe sleeve, the first time she had seen him so nervous since his encounter with Fleur Delacour.

"Hermione, you know, we've been best friends for almost five years now, and well recently-"

"My, my, what do we have here?"

Hermione and Ron turned to look at the snarky voice in surprise. Standing by the shade of some trees were Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle, looking like the bullies they were. Hermione's hand immediately slid down her robe to where her wand was located. "What do you want?" Her eyes were narrowed and she saw that Ron was also in a defensive posture.

"Oh, you know, to have some fun," Parkinson said lightly, an evil smile gracing her features.


	27. Chapter 27

Draco lounged around in the practically empty Slytherin common room. He had decided not to go down to Hogsmeade because he didn't want to be followed around by his lackeys. He was starting to tire of their constant gazes watching his every move. As he was about to drift off to sleep, after many sleepless nights, he suddenly felt his heartbeat quickening and prickling sensations of pain throughout certain parts of his body.

He got up and clenched his chest, wondering what was going on.

To protect and never betray nor harm.

"Hermione?" He muttered.

Getting up, he headed to the one person he knew would be able to help her out, worry beginning to envelope him. When he stepped out of the dungeons, he quickly scoured the area for any red and gold.

He approached a first year student. "Have you seen Potter?"

The shorter boy's eyes were wide with slight fear. "I-I think I saw him h-heading for the Gryffindor tower."

With determination, he did something he usually never does for any occasion, especially in public, and that was to run like his life depended on it toward someone who he had considered his mortal enemy since their first year.

When he reached the stairs that led to the tower, he spotted a mass of black hair. "Potter!" he shouted.

Caught off guard, the boy in question turned to meet him. "What is it, Malfoy?" He asked coldly.

Calming down, Draco tried not to show how tired he was from the run. "Where's Granger?"

Potter raised a brow. "Why would you want to know?"

"Just tell me." He said, a little impatiently, although his voice sounded even.

The sixth year studied Draco for a moment. "She went down to Hogsmeade with Ron."

Draco clenched his fist at the mention of Weasley, not sure why his blood was boiling. Taking away his pride and the fact that he was useless when it came to facing off his own lackeys, he spoke, "Head down to Hogsmeade and save Granger."

Potter's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would I need to save-"

"Just do it." He said, his tone harsh. "If you don't want any harm to come to her or to Weasley, listen to what I say." He bit out the last part.

He could practically see the questions running through Potter's head. There was a sudden resolve in his expression and he headed down the stairs. Pausing he looked up at Draco, "I have a lot of questions for you and especially Hermione, but we can deal with that later." He took off running, the cloak he had been holding now wrapping around him, until he disappeared.

Draco slumped onto the stairs, hoping that Potter would make it in time. He hated this persona he had to take on. He hated that he couldn't go down there to save his first true friend by himself. All because he was afraid. All because he wanted to ensure his own safety first.


	28. Chapter 28

Hermione glared at the three Slytherins throwing curses at them, unafraid of getting in trouble. She tried her best to repel them and defend herself. Ron was doing well on his own. "Don't attack them Ron, we don't want to cause more issues."

Ron frowned at her but nodded. "Fine, but I don't know how we'll get out of this then."

"Stupefy!" Hermione aimed her wand at Parkinson's wand and was fortunately able to repel it away from her.

Parkinson shrieked, causing the other two to stop and cover their ears at her shrilly voice. "Stay away from Draco!"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and Ron's mouth gaped open.

"What makes you think I'm associating with him?" Hermione's eyes narrowed, trying to think of ways to distract Parkinson until someone could walk by to help them. The Shrieking Shack had been rather popular lately.

The dark-haired Slytherin whipped her hair back pompously. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you look at him." She spat. "You filthy mudblood, do you really think you can raise your appeal by kissing up to him?"

Anger welled up inside of Hermione and she could see Ron's face turning a deep shade of red in anger. Before she could stop herself, she ran full force at Parkinson and punched her full on the face. The two big dolts next to her gaped in shock.

"Don't you dare call me that again." Hermione hissed. "And stop deluding yourself. If you want Malfoy don't involve me."

"You bitch!" Parkinson rubbed at her jaw and grabbed her wand that had fallen on the ground. "You'll pay!" Before she could do anything, a mudball flew right at the back of her head. "What is this?!"

A barrage of mudballs flew toward the three of them missing Hermione.

Parkinson was shrieking while the other two were trying to swat at the them, getting dirty from the attack.

"This isn't the end!" She shouted as they ran away.

Hermione whirled around looking at where the mudballs were coming from. Ron was laughing at what had happened, tears in his eyes. "Nice one, Harry."

Harry took off the invisibility cloak and gave them a mischievous smile. "I was just getting to the grand finale too."

Hermione smiled at him and ran to hug him. "Thanks, Harry!"

"Yeah, you're a lifesaver." Ron came up to them, with some minor scratches.

"Are you both alright?" Harry asked, concern written in his features.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, you came just in time."

"How did you know where we were?" Ron asked.

"You mean, you didn't ask Harry to come today?"

"I did, but I told him to meet us at Honeydukes."

Harry's eyes turned serious then. "Hermione, we need to talk."


	29. Chapter 29

"What?" Hermione's heart sped up. "I mean, talk about what?" She clarified.

"You and Malfoy," Harry said. She couldn't read his expression but felt terrified of what was to come.

"What do you mean?" Ron looked confused. "Why wouldn't Hermione be involved with Malfoy? She's been keeping an eye on him."

"I think a little too closely," Harry said quietly, eyes inquisitive.

Hermione backed away from him a little. "Why do you say that?"

"I actually didn't plan on coming down to Hogsmeade today." Harry started. He avoided looking at Hermione in the eyes. "Well, at first I did, but when I thought about it, I didn't want to be stuck in the middle, whether it worked out between the both of you or not." He continued. "So, while I was heading back to Gryffindor Tower, I heard Malfoy shout my name and even though he tried to hide it, he looked terrified. Like something bad was going to happen." His green eyes met Hermione's. "He asked about you and where you were. When I told him, it looked like his heart had stopped. I had never once seen him have that expression toward anyone before, especially toward someone he considered his enemy. Hermione, what's going on between you two?"

Hermione looked away from Harry and toward the Shrieking Shack, unsure of what to say. She hadn't planned to reveal anything to anyone until the ritual had been completed. She silently cursed Parkinson and the other two. She was so focused on only helping Draco that she had narrow-mindedly closed off everyone else that would be involved in the situation. So naively thought she would be fine within the confines of Hogwarts that she didn't account for those who didn't care. For those, who like her and her friends, have broken more than a few rules. And now, she had to face the consequences.

She turned to look at her closest friends with pleading eyes. "I'll tell you when the time is right. For now, please believe in me, as I've always believed in you both."

"Wait, so you're saying that there's something more going on between you and Malfoy?" Ron looked at her in disbelief, his ears starting to burn red in embarrassment. "Are you in love with him?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "I-in love?" She was about to retort but she felt like something had lodged in her throat. Was she in love with him? Was that why she was going to reject Ron? Why she had always felt a giddy sort of feeling when she was about to meet Draco?

At her silence, Ron clenched his hands and glared at her. "Here we go again, huh? You associating with the enemy."

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione said in between clenched teeth.

"First Krum and now Malfoy? Well, Krum I could understand. He's a bloody genius, a star. But, Malfoy? The guy who's called you a mudblood since the second year? The guy who's tried to do everything to cause us trouble? Now that's low."

Hermione flinched at the accusations but glared back at him. "You're one to talk. The moment one of your friends gains more glory than you and you turn your back on him. And you've never seen me more than someone who could help you with your homework or get you out of tight situations. You've never tried to listen to my side, always narrow-mindedly thinking only about yourself!"

"Well, you know what? Since I'm so selfish and you're suddenly an ally to someone who is definitely a Death Eater, you can bug off. Don't come back crying when you find out the true nature of Malfoy." With that, Ron stomped away. "Harry, let's go." He pulled Harry along with him.

Hermione could only look at Harry, who had been silent the whole time, helplessly.

Harry shook his head and turned to follow Ron.

Hermione fell to her knees when they were out of sight, the tears she had been holding back now falling freely down her cheeks.

* * *

**Endnote: Thank you for the reviews and support! **

**As I've stated the chapters will continue to remain short, but since I update almost every day (aside from the weekends and holidays) I think it's reasonable. The story will definitely be pretty long, though. Just think of this as the first arc of what is to come. I mean, we haven't even gotten to the meaning behind the title yet. Let's just say the plot will get darker when we move from the first arc. I hope you will all continue to remain with me on this journey! **


	30. Chapter 30

Draco could already feel the turmoil within Hermione as he walked up the stairs that led to the Room of Requirement hallway. As he walked down the hallway, a hint of light streaming from the almost covered moon, Draco spotted Hermione sitting on the wall where the Room of Requirement would usually reveal itself. Her arms were propped on her knees with her forehead pressed against her arm, face hidden by her dark brown curls. She looked so small and fragile.

"Hermione." He said gently, as he went to sit next to her.

"They couldn't even trust me," Hermione whispered. She turned her head slightly until her sad chocolate brown eyes met his. "They wouldn't even listen." Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. He could see what had happened and the emotions that had been whirling in her mind the whole while.

He hesitated at first, afraid of rejection, but then wrapped one arm around her and pulled her into him. He was relieved when she reciprocated and rested her head on his shoulder. "What do you want to do?"

She took a deep breath. "It's almost the new moon."

He frowned at the unexpected statement. "What?"

"To intertwine, when the sun and moon are joined so shall the two souls in colesco coniugo." She whispered, reciting the riddle perfectly word for word. "It's the last part. And I'm sure the first part means the new moon. I borrowed the astronomy text from Parvati."

He glanced down at her but couldn't see her expression. Sighing, he allowed her to continue. This was probably the best way for her to cope with what had just happened earlier that day.

"So what, we're going to say the spell during the night of the new moon?"

She nodded. "Then we'll be joined together."

"What's your plan after that? Potter and Weasley already think we're the best of buds. A death eater and the boy-who-lived best friend."

"But you're not a death eater. And we have Professor Dumbledore. He'll understand and I know he'll talk to the Order and have them help you and your mom. You know, like witness protection or something."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at him with surprise. "For what?"

"For not coming to help you. For letting Pansy and the others team up on you, hurt you." He was clenching his fist then, feeling disappointment at himself for having not gone with them. If he had been a distraction, then she wouldn't be in this situation right now.

She shook her head and smiled softly. "It wasn't your fault. You have to protect yourself first in order to protect me. If you had intervened, they would know that something was up and I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to rat you out to Voldemort. And then who knows what they would have done to your mom or worst, what would happen if you were forced to go home." She shuddered at the thought. Saving him would have been for naught. She had unconsciously grabbed his hand that was laying on his lap and held it tightly. "You're too important to me now. I don't know what would happen if I lost you, Ron, and Harry." She leaned in toward him again, wrapping her arm around his waist. He felt his breath catch in his throat. "You've opened me up to understanding that even one's worst enemy can become an invaluable friend. That all I needed to do was look past the façade everyone puts on. I'm glad I trusted my instinct and confronted you. If I hadn't, you would have continued to be alone with no one to watch your back."

He rested his head on her and pulled her into a hug.

It felt right. Her in his arms, like two puzzle pieces that were made for each other.

_You'll never be alone again._


	31. Chapter 31

Draco stood in an empty classroom waiting. He looked down at the note in his hand, studying it, wondering what was going to happen.

The door clicked open and he looked up. "Potter." He sneered.

Harry Potter entered the room and closed it behind him.

They both stood at opposite ends of the classroom, staring each other down. Draco couldn't help the smirk that involuntarily appeared each time he saw Potter. Having been natural enemies for years now, it was a hard habit to change. Potter's eyes narrowed for a moment and then surprisingly, he sighed. "Look, I'm not here to fight or argue with you today." He gestured to a table in the middle of the classroom and moved in the direction.

Warily, Draco complied and they both sat across from each other.

"So, what has made the great Harry Potter seek me out today?" Draco said sarcastically, mentally berating himself. But, after what had happened a couple of days ago with Hermione, he couldn't help feeling disappointed at the boy-who-lived.

Potter's eyes flashed slightly with anger or was it annoyance, before calming himself down. "Look, I know we've never really seen eye to eye," He looked Draco straight in the eye then, "but, I've come to realize that Hermione was right."

Draco raised a brow.

Potter scratched his head in slight frustration. "I guess I never really thought about you as a person." He elaborated. "I was so caught up at the fact that you're a Slytherin and that your father associates with the Dark side that I never really thought about, well, about your viewpoint."

Draco leaned back on the chair. Potter definitely seemed sincere at the moment.

_Give him a chance._

He could basically feel Hermione whisper to him.

"While I am proud of being a Slytherin, I don't believe in my father's idiotic attempts to follow a half-blood who basically wants to vanquish the people who are useful for helping the purebloods be successful. Without muggles, half-bloods, you name it, I'm sure the purebloods would end up finding faults in each other anyways, which would, in turn, lead to another pointless war." Draco stated. "If I had it my way, I wish there would be no war. That all I had to worry about was competing against the houses and focus on my own future." He admitted the last part quietly.

"Then why don't you help us?"

Draco smirked. "Really Potter, you should know that better than anyone."

Potter looked at Draco for a moment with slight confusion, then it dawned on him. "I see."

"Everyone has someone they need to protect and I'm no different." Draco looked down at his hand resting on the table. "And now I have one more person to protect."

"You've changed." Draco looked up to see Potter smiling slightly at him. "And I'm sure I know who's done that."

Draco slid his fingers through his already perfectly slicked-back hair. "She's persistent."

"And stubborn."

"But…kind."

Potter nodded. "Yeah, she hates it when anyone is being mistreated or left out. I guess she knows the feeling and hopes no one goes through what she has gone through."

Draco flinched slightly at that since he was sure he had been a part of that equation.

"And now she's helping you. Because she sees something in you. I don't know what, but," Potter looked reluctant, "I've done some thinking these past few days and while I still don't trust you, I want to believe in her. Like how she's always believed in me. She's an invaluable friend that I don't want to lose."

"And Weasley?"

Potter sighed. "Ron's a different story. It's not that he's angry that she's getting closer to you because you're allied with the dark side, but because…"

"He's jealous."

Potter nodded. "He just needs more time, especially when he already has a feeling that he's going to be rejected. And the fact that he thinks Hermione's in love with you makes it even worse."

Draco's brows furrowed. "She only sees me as a friend so he shouldn't be worried on that front."

It was Potter's turn to raise a brow now, but he said nothing further on the topic. "Since we're on slightly better terms with each other, you need to tell me what's been going on between you and Hermione. And what mission were you assigned by Voldemort?"

Draco knew it was coming. Potter had been snooping around a lot the past few months to discover his mission and now, with this shaky alliance formed, he had expected this. He crossed his arms and leaned back again. "I won't say anything further until you make up with Hermione. Then we can meet up, all three of us, and talk about this."

Harry took a moment to consider his conditions. "Fine, you have a deal."


	32. Chapter 32

"Hermione, I think we need to pour this in now," Andrea said timidly holding a vial in her hand.

Having been distracted the whole time from constantly casting her gaze toward her two best friends, ex-best friends, she turned back to Andrea and smiled. "Pour it in," she said encouragingly.

Despite telling Draco that she was fine, she still felt sad at not having the two of them by her side. She was quite lonely in the great hall. And not having anyone to bother her about homework or other mundane tasks was also upsetting for her. Even though she became annoyed when they relied on her for those things, it felt nice feeling needed. It also felt nice not being kept in the dark when it came to matters of the Order or the tasks Professor Dumbledore was assigning to Harry. She was almost tempted to make up with them, but she held strong. She wasn't in the wrong. If they just gave Draco a chance, they would learn about how he really is as a person and that he was just in a bad situation.

Feeling conflicted the whole time, she was grateful that Andrea was her partner since she was so meticulous when it came to brewing potions. Sighing, she gathered her things and was surprised when she saw a note stuffed in between the pages of her potions text.

_Meet me in the Gryffindor common room at 2 am._

She glanced up and briefly met sea-green eyes.


	33. Chapter 33

Hermione came down to the Gryffindor common room an hour earlier and sat on one of the overly stuffed loveseats. She was so busy mulling over the situation that she didn't notice him approaching until he spoke.

"There you go again, biting your nails when your anxious about something." Harry smiled down at her.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, jumping off her seat. She was about to hug him as she was used to doing, but stopped when she remembered what had recently happened. Instead, she looked down at her feet and clasped her hands together.

"Hermione." He said softly. She looked up and saw that his arms were wide open for her.

Heart swelling, she returned the gesture and hugged him, while punching him on the chest at the same time.

"Ouch." He joked.

"It's your fault," she pouted, "for leaving me alone these past few days."

"I know." He moved away from her, his expression serious. "We need to talk about what's been happening." They both sat across from each other and Hermione suddenly felt like she was going to be interrogated. "I've been thinking these past few days about what's been happening. Malfoy's been sneaking around with his lackeys, but then lately he's been diligently present. You have been following him around and keeping track of him, but have been disappearing late at night." She opened her mouth to protest but his stare made her stop. "I know you've been sneaking into my room to grab the invisibility cloak." He smiled. "I'm not that oblivious."

"Sorry." she muttered. She really didn't think he was oblivious. If she had, then she would've been doing things more openly.

"So, what's been going on? You told me to believe in you, to trust you, but I can't do that if you aren't communicating with me about your plans. How am I supposed to help you if you are keeping secrets from me?"

Her shoulders slumped and she leaned against the sofa. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid that you wouldn't approve. I mean, look at your reaction when Draco came to ask you for help. It was so easy for you and Ron to turn your backs on me."

He looked away from her. "Sorry 'bout that. I didn't leave you alone because I felt betrayed, it was because I didn't understand what was going on. I needed a couple of days to think before talking to you. And you know, give Ron some time to cool off. If I had sided with you, who knows what sort of trouble he would bring for us with his temper."

Hermione nodded in agreement at the last point. "Still, it hurt. A lot."

"I know." Harry reached out to grab her hand. "But I'm here for you now, if you'll talk to me. I don't want to lose the one person I view as my sister and best friend."

A small smile graced her features and she tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "Okay, but I need Draco to be with us."

A knowing smile formed on his lips. "You both really do think alike."


	34. Chapter 34

When Draco walked down the hall to the Room of Requirement, he was not surprised when he saw both Hermione and Potter waiting for him. Even though their objectives were slightly similar now, the door would still not budge for them unless he was there. He glanced at where the door would usually appear quite interested in its personality.

"Draco!" Hermione got up from her sitting position and smiled at him. The whole of her exuding a happy and calm aura, definitely different from the past few days. Despite her trying to hide the loneliness and despair at having lost her best friends, she, of course, couldn't hide it from him.

The teen who had been leaning against the wall on the opposite side joined them. "Malfoy."

"Potter." They both greeted each other, still wary of what was to come.

"Come on, let's go in." Hermione urged, oblivious to the tension between the two.

As they were both pulled along by her, Potter looked around the large storage room and whistled low. "I didn't know something like this existed."

They came upon the vanishing cabinet and Potter raised a brow. "What is this?"

"A vanishing cabinet," Draco said matter-of-factly. He glanced at Hermione who was starting to feel nervous.

_"We'll have to talk about this eventually. Didn't you say you wanted Potter to be aware of what I have to do?"_

_"I know. It's just…"_ Although she didn't finish expressing her concern, he couldn't help the small smile that graced his features. He appreciated that her overprotectiveness extended even to him. Something that he had never felt from anyone other than his mother.

"We'll be fine. It seems Potter has become more mature than I thought."

Hermione frowned. "What did you expect? He's been through a lot." Her expression turned sad. "He lost his godfather who he had recently reunited with and blames himself for his rash decision. He's been in a dark place until recently."

"So what does this vanishing cabinet have to do with anything?" Potter spoke up, looking between the two with a smile. "I don't want to come in between you two, but you did say you would give me an explanation."

"Harry!" Hermione's cheeks flushed red, although it wasn't as noticeable in the dimly lit room.

Potter shrugged and stared at Draco as a sign to continue. Draco looked at Potter carefully. The boy-who-lived definitely was more perceptive than he thought. "This was a task given to me by the Dark Lord."

At Potter's confused expression, Hermione elaborated. "A vanishing cabinet doesn't work by itself. It actually has a counterpart that can help it teleport one object to another. And possibly even people too." She finished the last part a little more quietly.

Potter caught on. "So he wants to bring death eaters here. To infiltrate Hogwarts."

Draco nodded curtly. He glanced down at Hermione who encouraged him to continue. "But that's not all. He assigned me one more task."

"And that is?"

"To kill Albus Dumbledore."

Potter's eyes narrowed. "What? Why?"

"Think about it Potter. What would happen if Dumbledore were to die? The one person who Voldemort fears the most."

"He would have control of Hogwarts and possibly even more. We have to tell him."

"Harry, you can't." Hermione interrupted, stopping him from taking a step further. "At least, not yet."

"Why not? If we told him about this then we would foil Voldemort's plans and be one step ahead of him."

Draco smirked. "Always so eager, Potter, to head into the frying pan when you haven't thought things through carefully."

He knew Potter was going to make a nasty comment, but Hermione stopped him. "He's right Harry. You're not thinking clearly about the situation."

"What's there to think about?" He tried to struggle out of Hermione's grasp.

Frustration was rising in Hermione now, but Draco let her handle it. He was sure if he tried to intervene she would stop him anyways. It was better for her to handle the situation since he was sure he was going to say something that would provoke Potter more. "Think about what would happen if you told Professor Dumbledore and stopped his plan."

Potter was the one to be frustrated now, but then he caught a glance at Draco and stopped.

_"Well, he caught on faster than I thought."_

_"Draco!"_ Hermione hissed.

He looked at her. _"Just saying."_

"So this is why you've been keeping it from me? To protect Malfoy? He's already in Hogwarts, though."

"Yes, but his mother is not," Hermione said. "She's deep within enemy territory. If Voldemort were to find out that his plans had been thwarted, of course, he would immediately assume that Draco failed and he could possibly use his mother against him."

Potter leaned against a stack of books. "So you've been trying to figure out how to help Malfoy and his mother?"

Hermione nodded. "The problem is we need to have the Order trust Draco and help him find a safe location for his mother. If we can't guarantee her safety, then Draco will have to continue with the missions."

"How would we know that Malfoy's speaking the truth anyways? He could double-cross us." Potter said, staring at Draco suspiciously.

Draco was surprised when Hermione suddenly stood in front of him.

She pulled back her robe and revealed a dark red full moon scar on her inner left wrist. If one looked close enough, they would see a faint shadow of the sun behind half of the full moon, the triangular-shaped rays slightly faded as if to show the contrast yet joining of two souls.


	35. Chapter 35

_Three Days Prior_

_"Did you meet Harry without telling me?"_ Hermione asked Draco from across the Great Hall. From her position, she could clearly see him with the trio who had recently attacked her.

_"What are you talking about?"_ He asked smoothly.

She glared at him, knowing he would at least feel her anger even though he wasn't looking at her. _"Harry talked to me last night about what's been happening between us. But, he didn't sound angry or anything. He looked relieved, especially when I said that we both had to talk to him. You promised that you wouldn't hide anything from me."_

_"Yes, he came to talk to me. But, I told him that I couldn't talk to him about us without you."_

Hermione giggled at that.

_"What?"_

_"Oh, nothing."_ Hermione feigned ignorance.

He raised a brow, even though he wasn't looking at her. _"You know there's a problem, right?"_

_"And what's that?"_

_"Potter wants us to tell him everything, but we haven't completed this spell, ritual, whatever you want to name it."_

Hermione looked at him smugly. _"Don't worry. The new moon is tomorrow night. That's why I told him to meet us Thursday night instead of tomorrow."_

_"How do you know it'll work?"_

She shrugged. _"We won't know unless we try."_

_"And if it's unsuccessful?"_

"Hermione, are you alright?"

Hermione turned to see Ginny who was now sitting next to her.

"Ginny, when did you get here?"

"I've been here since the beginning. Don't you remember?" Ginny frowned at her. "I even asked how your day was…?"

"Oh right." Hermione smiled weakly, clearly having forgotten their interaction. She had been so busy waiting for Draco to show up that she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings.

"It's okay." Ginny patted her on the shoulder. "I heard about what happened." She whispered. "I'm on your side."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about your preferences. I don't know why my brother assumes you would be into him just because you're close to each other." She flushed with anger. "Boys, so full of themselves."

"P-preferences?" Hermione looked at the ginger-haired girl in confusion.

Ginny leaned in closer to her. "I've been seeing you eyeing someone lately. It's obvious that Ron's not your type."

Now Hermione turned red, but with embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about." She got up then at Ginny's giggles.

_"Meet me at the usual place and time tomorrow."_ She said rushing away, not glancing at Draco for fear of his reaction.


	36. Chapter 36

_One day prior_

As Hermione waited for Draco in the dimly lit hallway, she tried not to mull over what Ginny had said to her yesterday.

When she heard his footsteps approaching, she tried not to think about it. Seeing him approaching, she couldn't help the sudden blush and heart speeding. She hoped he didn't notice.

_"Shall we do this?"_ Draco asked.

Hermione nodded. She followed Draco as the doors opened for them.

As they stood by the vanishing cabinet, Draco whispered, "So we say it together?"

"I think so." She whispered back. As he raised his wand, she stopped him. "Wait."

His brows scrunched together. "What's wrong?"

She reached her hand out toward him. It was shaking slightly due to nerves. "I'm scared." Comprehension dawned at him as he felt her emotions. "What if it's even more painful?"

He held her hand in his, giving it a squeeze, "I'll be here for you. We'll endure it together." Although he tried to sound reassuring, she could feel his nerves too. For some reason, that made her feel better.

She gave him a shaky smile.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded.

_"Colesco coniugo."_ Light flashed from their wands.

Hermione closed her eyes tight, waiting for the pain. She was surprised when she felt warmth envelope her instead, as though something was entering her. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she was wrapped tight in Draco's arms. She closed her eyes again feeling safe, feeling just right.

After a moment, they broke apart from each other.

"What was that?" She said breathlessly. He could only stare at her. She glanced down and noticed that his sleeve on the left arm was rolled up. "Draco, your arm."

He looked down at his wrist and she did the same, now noticing that her sleeve was also rolled up.

"It's complete." She whispered, slumping down on the floor, relieved but suddenly very tired.

He kneeled down. "I hate to admit it," he smiled softly at her, "but you were right."


	37. Chapter 37

_Dear Mother,_

_Before summer arrives, I hope we can once again visit the large hanging tree where I first acquired my magical abilities. The sun was high and the flowers were just blooming. You told me not to climb but I didn't listen. I wanted to feel the cool breeze before the summer heat._

_All is going well._

_Draco_


	38. Chapter 38

"Are you sure no one would understand the meaning behind your letter aside from your mother?" Potter asked as they huddled around the vanishing cabinet.

"Are you sure you were able to wheedle all the information out of Slughorn?" Draco drawled, as he leaned against the cabinet.

Hermione elbowed him on the side. _"Stop trying to provoke him!"_

_"If he stops doubting me."_

Hermione made a sound of irritation and peeked a glance at Potter. When they had revealed everything to Potter, the Gryffindor could only look at them in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Draco nor Hermione, who had been on opposite ends, would do something like this. Even now, he still doubted them a little, but he chose to have faith in Hermione.

"Yes, Potter, only my mother would understand." He tried not to roll his eyes. Hermione would only jab him on the side again.

She smiled sweetly at him. _"Good. Even Harry and Ron try not to get on my bad side."_

"You know I'm still here, right?" Potter raised his brow and shook his head. "So you both really can read each other's mind?"

"Mind, heart, and pain. As far as we know." Hermione nodded. "What did Professor Dumbledore say about the horcruxes?"

Potter looked down at the ground. "Yeah, he already predicted it but having Professor Slughorn confirm it made the situation even worse. There's something else too." The two looked at him attentively. "He's planning to take me somewhere. I'm not sure where, but we have to be on our guard. Even though Malfoy's already told us everything, I don't know how safe Hogwarts really is."

"You think Voldemort could have had a backup?"

Potter nodded. "Malfoy, you said that you're being watched. Do you know if someone else was assigned to find a way for death eaters to come in?"

"I don't think so. The ones who are somewhat aligned with the Dark Lord's beliefs are either idiots or don't want to get their hands dirty." At Potter's stare, he added, "but I'll keep an eye on them."

With the lull in conversation, Hermione spoke up. "We should plan on how to help the Order with securing your mom."

"Shouldn't we just leave it to the adults?"

Hermione and Potter stared at him with raised brows.

Hermione cleared her throat. "While we believe that the Order would do everything in their power to help your mother, it's just…" she paused and looked at Potter.

"Things always go wrong." Potter finished. His face turned grave. "That's why we'll sneak along and make sure we can be there as backup."

Draco sighed. "What else do I have to lose anyway?"


	39. Chapter 39

Hermione's heart was beating like crazy and she held onto Draco tightly.

_"Don't worry, I won't drop you."_ He chuckled.

Her eyes were shut and she tried to hold in a squeal as they rose higher.

_"You really hate flying don't you?"_

_"Please just focus on flying!"_ She screamed internally. Draco winced.

They were currently flying hundreds of feet in the air. What was even worse was that they had to fly even higher so they wouldn't catch the attention of the Order. Hermione would have definitely chosen the thestrals to this. At least she had something solid to work with whereas they were merely riding a wooden stick that could break at any moment.

_"How far away is it?"_

_"With flying, we should get there within an hour."_

_"An hour?"_ She had never flown that long before. Heck, the last time she remembered flying on a broomstick was during their first year. _"Distract me."_

_"Alright. So our plan is to follow the Order and hide behind bushes while they help my mom. But, have you ever thought of if things really do go awry what would happen if the Dark Lord spots Potter?"_

Hermione's eyes widened, which she regretted as she had been looking down. She tightened her hold on Draco. _"We'll have the Order with us anyway."_

_"And yet you're following them because you couldn't rely on them."_

She remained silent, lost in thought. _"To be honest, I really wished we could have just done this by ourselves. I don't like the idea of pushing our responsibilities onto others. But, after what happened last year, Harry thought it best to see if things would play out differently with the Order."_

_"I see."_

They both flew most of the way there in comfortable silence. Hermione keeping her eyes clothes and Draco observing Harry's determined expression. He wondered why the people who cared so much about others always got hurt the most.

_"I hope you'll at least rely on me."_


	40. Chapter 40

He stared down at the young girl laying on the ground, nearly dead. He tilted his head slightly to the side with curiosity. While she was barely breathing, her eyes held a stubborn will to survive, even while she was bleeding out. As if noticing him, her eyes flicked to him slowly. "Are you here to finish me off?" She spoke softly, trying to conserve her energy.

So she can see me.

"Girl, I am a death god." He waited for her reaction and was surprised by the small smile that graced her features.

"A death god, huh?" She paused, turning her head back upwards, as though it took too much energy to look at him too long. "Here to collect my soul." She coughed, hacking up some blood.

"Are you not afraid?"

She snorted, although that caused her some pain as she winced. "I don't think there's anything scarier than dying."

True.

His curiosity was definitely piqued now. Of all the humans he interacted with during their last breaths, most had pleaded to live longer or threatened him. He sneered. Threatening a death god. They were always so amusing, so weak but amusing to watch. This was the first time he ever had a conversation.

"Get on with it then." She brought his attention back. "Take my soul."

"You seem so willing to give me your life, yet you continue to hold on to every breath you take." He commented, kneeling, then to take a better look at her. Though pale, she looked to be of 17. Her forehead was soaked with sweat and her bushy hair was spread out around her like a halo. While she was not beautiful by any means, the will he saw in her eyes was attractive. She had a large gash on the side of her stomach and was bleeding out from the wound. A couple of feet away from her, he noticed a strange wooden stick laying there innocently.

A sad smile this time. "I guess there's so much more I need to do, that I can't let go yet." Her eyes were lost in thought.

Unconsciously, he placed a hand on her forehead and flashes of her memories crossed his vision.

A young boy around her age with a lightning scar on his forehead shouting her name but being taken away by a group of people in black.

Another boy with platinum blonde hair holding her in his arms, tears rolling down his cheeks before he was torn away.

A strange-looking man with slits for his nose was laughing in glee at the destruction around him.

"Your memories are filled with pain and sadness, why still do you hold on?" He frowned, not comprehending her desire to live.

She breathed out a shaky laugh. "I wonder why. I guess cause I'm only human."

He raised a brow, well if he had one. He had never looked at himself before or cared to.

An interesting one.

Just as he was about comment further, her eyes flickered in a different direction, as though she just heard something. Looking in the same direction, he also heard it.

"Hermione!"

Too weak to shout, the young girl, Hermione, could only wait to see if the person would reach her. The death god was surprised at how well her senses were still working despite her system failing her. When the person came closer, he noticed that it was the same boy he saw in her memories. The boy stopped in his tracks when he saw her, but then, to his surprise, he saw that the boy was looking at him. Grey eyes glared at him and ran the very last steps to her side, pulling out a wooden stick very familiar to the one he saw before. "Stay away from her!"

Very odd. Something about these two felt odd to him. When she was alone, he couldn't quite place it, but now that the platinum blonde-haired boy was next to her he could see the connection they had together. His eyes narrowed. "You both share the same soul."

"What of it?!" the boy lashed out, still on the defensive side, watching his every move.

"Draco, calm down. He can't harm us." Hermione spoke. Draco bent down to examine her, ignoring the death god.

"Shush Hermione, don't speak anymore." He then placed his lips onto hers and the death god could see it then. He was transferring his energy into her and the death god could see Hermione becoming less pale.

The death god took a step back. "What you both share is dangerous and will lead to a miserable ending, for one cannot live without the other." While speaking these words, though, he could see from Draco's expression that they had already resigned themselves to this fate. That this was what they wanted.

So young and yet making such decisions.

He could feel it now, the energy within her was growing stronger and soon, he would no longer be needed. Before he could disappear from their sights, his grey eyes regarded the two with sadness, if that was even an emotion he could feel. Maybe a sense of nostalgia.

Draco peeled himself away from Hermione when he felt she was stable enough and went to grab her wand before any enemies approached them unawares. As he turned back to face his dear friend, he noticed the strange cloaked figure standing beside Hermione slowly fading away. His grey eyes widened slightly in shock as he hadn't gotten a good look before. His feet took him automatically to standing a few feet away from the figure. Although slightly taller, it looked human but ethereal at the same time, but that was not what hit him. Worn grey eyes met emotionless grey eyes. Before he could say anything further, the figure faded away and Draco could only see the sun slowly falling down the horizon.

* * *

**EndNote: And so it begins...again...lol.**

**If you have read this part from the short story anthology I started, then this is very similar (basically almost the same), but we are starting to get nearer to the next arc. **

**I hope you are all still enjoying this with me as we continue moving onward and sorry if it does seem to be moving slowly, but I hope you continue to enjoy this journey with me! **


	41. Chapter 41

When Dumbledore had arrived to save them just before the Dark Lord was going to kill Potter, all Draco could do was rush back to the disasters of the battle to where Hermione would be laying down.

All he could do was rush to her side. After Hermione told him to calm down from his yell of frustration at the black figure standing by her side, he could only see her. She was in deep pain and he could feel the life bleeding out from her. He didn't know how, but all he knew was that he had to save her. She was getting really pale and didn't even have enough strength to look at him. All she did was smile at him, trying to reassure him that it would be all right.

_"No, I can't let you go like this."_ He was furious. Angry at being weak. Angry at not being able to protect her like he promised. He cursed his bloody father for how he treated his mom, threatening to kill her if they didn't hand over Potter.

He dropped down to his knees and for some unknown reason, bent down and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't protest. He was about to apologize for his sudden brash behavior but paused when he felt something flowing between them.

_"Do you feel it?"_ She asked, sounding weak even mentally.

_"Is this because of our bond?"_

Even though she didn't answer his question he noticed that she was feeling warmer and life was flushing back into her cheeks. When he moved away to look at her more closely, he could already feel the pain subsiding.

_"What did I just-?"_

_"You healed me."_ She said, tired. _"That would definitely be something interesting to research more about."_

He couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a small flicker of movement and suddenly remembered that they were not alone. Grabbing her wand, he whirled back around and looked closer at the figure. It looked like it was starting to fade already all dressed in black with a robe very similar to the ones they wore. Something was very familiar about it, but he couldn't quite understand what.

When he met it's eyes, though, he felt a sudden chill run over his body and could only watch in silence as it faded away.


	42. Chapter 42

When Hermione woke up, she noticed the familiar walls of Hogwarts's infirmary.

"What happened?" She whispered, her throat feeling dry.

"Hermione!" Harry jumped up from his seat, glasses skewed. He grabbed her hand, relief in his eyes. "I'm glad you're okay."

She felt a slight throbbing on her side and attempted to sit up but was stopped by Harry. "You're still healing. Madam Pomfrey said that you are not allowed to move until the wound is fully closed. She'll examine you again later."

"Where's Draco?"

Harry sat back down, looking worn, but smiled. "He's healthy as ever. He's worried about you, but doesn't want to cause a sudden stir if he were to suddenly visit you."

"How about his mom?" She said quietly. "All I remember was Draco running back." And the death god.

"She's safe. When we got taken away by the death eaters into the Malfoy's cottage, we really thought it was going to be the end. Voldemort was so close. But Professor Dumbledore showed up in time to save us and weaken Voldemort." He smirked. "Draco got to give his father a punch in the face. That was satisfying."

Hermione eyed him. "Draco?"

Harry shrugged. "He earned my respect and had my back."

She smiled, but then remembered the spells that had been directed at some of the Order. "How many survived?"

"Four dead, three wounded, and two made it out with some minor injuries." He patted her on the hand, when tears started clouding her eyes. "It's okay. They knew the risks of this mission."

"What happened?" At the sound of the familiar voice, they both turned their heads to see a pale-faced Ron.


	43. Chapter 43

"Blimey, Hermione, what happened to you?" Ron was standing by the side of her bed awkwardly, though there were clear signs of concern etched in his features.

Hermione and Harry could only stare at him in surprise.

"What are you doing here Ron?" Hermione didn't mean to sound harsh, but she couldn't entirely rid herself of the anger she still felt at how he treated her.

He flinched and scratched his head nervously. "Well, I-"

"What? So once I almost died, then you start regretting your actions?" She winced at the strain she was putting on her almost healed wound.

"Calm down Hermione." Harry said gently.

_"Yes, calm down. Unless you want me to kiss you again?"_

Hermione looked around in surprise. "I thought I told you not to do that!"

"Ron, I think you should leave for now. We can talk more after Hermione recovers."

Ron didn't look like he wanted to leave. But, after scanning Hermione's condition and Hermione's lack of response to Harry's suggestion, he skulked away, agreeing to the terms.

_"Well, that didn't last long."_

_"Seriously, where are you Draco?"_ She hissed.

_"Did you miss me that much, even though it's only been a day?"_ Her eyes narrowed. He was definitely getting sassier these days.

_"Ron's gone now so you can come out."_

_"Only if you can guess where I am."_ She could basically feel him smirking.

"Hermione? Hermione?" Hermione turned to Harry who gave her that knowing look. He shook his head in exasperation. "Alright Draco, why don't you come out? We need to talk anyways."

Hermione felt the whoosh of wind and Draco appeared by the edge of the bed, tucking the invisibility cloak into his arms. For the first time, Hermione noticed that he looked healthier, that there was more relief in his expression than fear. She couldn't help the smile that flickered on her lips.


	44. Chapter 44

"I'm sure you can survive without me for a bit." Draco smiled gently at Hermione.

Hermione continued to look at the ceiling. "Who said I was lonely? I'm going to be with Harry." Despite her stubborn exterior, he could tell that she felt conflicted inside. She gripped the blanket on her lap. "Has the Order already decided on a safe house?"

He nodded. "My mother is currently hidden and I'll meet her once winter break starts."

"I'm glad everything went well, but I don't know. I still feel like something terrible is going to happen." She couldn't shake off the feeling and Draco could feel her shiver. Unconsciously, he scooted the chair closer to her, trying to give her some comfort.

"It's okay Hermione, we've made it this far and we can do it again." Harry reassured her.

Although she showed him a small smile, Draco could tell that she was still worried.

_"Professor Dumbledore saved us this time, but how about next time? It's not like he'll always be able to save our arse, especially when it comes to facing Voldemort."_

_"You don't believe in Harry?"_

She turned her head to look at him, eyes blazing. _"Of course I have faith in him. But I also know that at Voldemort's current strength, we won't be able to defeat him."_

"-horcruxes." Harry finished.

Hermione turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't catch that."

He looked like he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I said, during winter break, we can start searching for the horcruxes. Professor Dumbledore has a possible lead on one, but he's going to be busy so we can go in his place."

"Do you think he'll let us?"

"Even if he doesn't, he knows that we won't listen anyway."

Draco suddenly got up. "I should leave before anyone else pops in. At least until everything settles down."

_"Then what?"_

_"Then maybe we can be around each other more during the spring term."_ He smiled down at her and he could feel her heart speeding and cheeks flushing. He didn't know why but he really enjoyed the reactions she made around him. She made him feel emotions he had never felt since he was a child. But it was a welcome change. His emotions showed him that maybe he could finally be free to be who he wanted to be and not what people wanted him to be.


	45. Chapter 45

When winter break arrived, Hermione found herself in an awkward position. Sitting across from her on their train ride back was Ron and Harry. They were both chatting about quidditch and she knew Harry was trying to keep things from getting awkward, especially by making sure they didn't talk to each other.

Hermione bristled with anger again when she recalled what happened last time. To dispel her anger, she looked out the window at the passing scenery. She silently wished either Draco or Ginny were with her to distract her but that was not possible. Draco was long gone with his mom in hiding while Ginny was spending time with her friends with gift exchanges before the holidays, since she was going to have plenty of time with Harry.

Just as she was thinking this, there was a knock at the door. The three turned to see Ginny waving for Harry to come over. Hermione's eyes widened and she gave him pleading eyes. Harry was reluctant to leave, but at Ginny's insistence, he could do nothing but listen.

Now it was only the two of them. Ron fiddled with his wand, while Hermione continued to look outside.

After what felt like a long time but was probably only a couple of minutes, Ron spoke up. "Hermione."

She continued to ignore him.

"I'm sorry Hermione, really. I-the reason why I was so angry was because," Ron hesitated, but forged on, "it's because I was jealous."

"Just because you were jealous didn't mean you had to hurt me with those words." Hermione finally said. "You always let your emotions run your actions. I thought you would have at least matured enough to treat me like a friend."

"Well that's the problem cause I didn't see you as a friend!" Ron was getting red with anger and frustration.

Hermione was about to lash at him again, but paused. "Didn't?"

"After what happened between us, I really thought about my feelings for you." He started fidgeting with his wand again. "Harry also talked some sense into me and I realized that he was right."

Hermione tilted her head in confusion. "About what?"

"That you and I aren't compatible with each other. I really did think I liked you like that, you know? You're the opposite of me, smart, can defend me, and calm under pressure. But then we never really are able to carry on a conversation about anything and our interests are really different." With Ron's rambling, Hermione could only stare with wide eyes, processing everything he was saying. "Basically, I can see why Malfoy would be a better fit for you." He finished with a huff.

He looked up in surprise when she suddenly started laughing.

Ron was surprised at her sudden fit of laughter but then started laughing with her.

After a while, the laughter died down and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Could you imagine it, if we had dated?"

He settled more comfortably in his chair. "Yeah, we probably would have bickered with each other all the time. You would go on and on about topics I wouldn't understand and I would talk about quidditch and flying, which you hate."

She nodded. The whole awkward feeling dissipated between them both. She smiled warmly at him. "Friends?"

He smiled at her. "Friends."


	46. Chapter 46

All had been well when the four of them arrived at the Burrow. They were greeted by Molly Weasley with open arms and she had already prepared lunch for them. Hermione had sent an owl to her family to inform them of her plans about staying the winter break with the Weasley family. Although she had wished to spend time with them during Christmas, however much time they had left before things take a turn for the worst, she knew that she couldn't miss the opportunity to see what the Order had in store. Even more, she wanted to know Harry's next plan of action with finding the remaining horcruxes.

All the while, despite the warmth from the Weasleys, she felt like a part of her was missing and she knew that it had to do with Draco not being with her. It was like half of her was torn apart and was urging her more every day to find him.

It had become so bad that only after a couple of days of staying at the Burrow, she was wildly shaken awake. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Harry staring at her with worried eyes. "What's wrong, Harry?" She noticed then as she tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes, that she had a broomstick in her hand.

Finally taking a look at her surroundings, she noticed that she was no longer in Ginny's room, but outside in the cold about to fly off to who knows where. She shivered and also noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes.

Harry grabbed her wrist and led her inside. Ginny was also awake along with Ron who were staring at her with worried expressions.

"Have a seat." Harry gestured to the large comfy couch that was across from the now lit fireplace. She obeyed and sat down, warming up.

"Hermione are you okay?" Ginny came to sit next to her, worry lining her expression.

Hermione nodded. "I guess I have a slight sleepwalking problem, huh?" She said lightly, but when she only received worried stares, she sighed. "It's not like I really did anything wrong."

"Yes, but you could have gotten hurt," Harry said sternly. He looked at Ginny with a sort of urging stare.

"What?" Hermione turned to look at her bedmate.

Ginny took a deep breath and finally confessed. "You've been acting weirdly these past few days. I wanted to tell you, but Harry said we should wait it out."

"How so?"

"This wasn't the first time you've been sleepwalking. And, you talk in your sleep…a lot." Ginny glanced at Ron and then leaned in to whisper. "About Malfoy."

Hermione's face flushed and she looked to Harry who was standing by the fireplace.

"I think it's about time to tell them."

"Tell us what?" Ron finally spoke up.

Ginny got up suddenly. "I knew you were keeping something from me! And you promised that you weren't."

Harry looked apologetic. "It's not my story to tell." He looked at Hermione then. "I know Dumbledore told us to keep it quiet, but I think it's time we tell Ron and Ginny, especially since they'll be helping us with the search for the horcruxes."

Hermione knew what he was implying. Draco was also going to be joining them and if Ron and Ginny couldn't trust Draco, then it was going to be hard for them to work together as a team. She sighed. "Alright. You both should sit. It's going to be quite a story."

Ginny looked excited, while Ron had a curious expression.

"Have you ever heard of two souls merging as one?"


	47. Chapter 47

When they arrived in Grimmauld Place, Hermione was relieved to see Draco in the family room, sitting on an old dusty couch, unharmed. Even though she could sense him already from outside, it felt better to see him doing well.

"Draco." She greeted him with a smile and was tempted to hug him but stopped in her tracks. She didn't want to be teased by either Ginny or Harry. Ever since she told her ginger-haired friend about the pact she made with Draco, she had been teased about it.

_"Were you okay?"_

She looked up and rather than saw, felt his concern. _"Did it happen to you too?"_

He nodded. _"Mother thought I was going crazy. She even tied me to my bed in fear I would endanger myself."_

She giggled at that.

A resounding cough was heard and she turned to see the other three standing there, looking between the two. Ron, who had made the noise, stood taller than usual. "Malfoy." He said stiffly.

Draco returned the greeting with a nod, his expression steeling back to that of arrogance.

Opposite of Ron, Ginny was trying to hide her smile by faking yawn, while Harry shook his head, already having experienced their telepathic thoughts with each other.

"We should search for the horcrux. If we're lucky, it'll still be here." Harry held the fake locket in his hand for them to see. "It should look like this, but be careful. The ring Dumbledore had had drained a lot of his mental strength."

The others nodded.

"So shall we draw straws?" Ginny said in a chirpy tone.

To the others surprised, she suddenly drew what looked to be small wooden sticks.

_"Your friends are taking this rather well,"_ Draco commented.

Hermione smiled. _"Let's just be glad Ron didn't punch you in the face and Ginny's not urging you to tell her more about your feelings."_


	48. Chapter 48

Draco walked up the stairs with light steps, trying to focus on the fact that he was able to be with Hermione again. But though he tried to ignore the person walking up the stairs with heavy steps, he couldn't help but roll his eyes when the person in question grumbled.

_"Please remain civil if you want to win some brownie points."_

_"Brownie points?"_

_"It's a muggle thing. Basically, try to get along with him."_

Draco snorted. _"Says that person who gets to avoid the people she holds dear to her heart."_

Hermione paused in her steps. He looked up to see her turn toward him and harrumph at him. She then proceeded to go up the stairs with a little bounce. _"Well, I was going to help you deal with Ron, but now I don't care to."_


	49. Chapter 49

Draco opened a clothes drawer and muttered, "not here."

Him and Weasley were currently searching one of the multitude rooms on the third floor.

"I don't see any point in this." Weasley was half-heartedly searching through the bedding.

"If you tried harder, maybe you'd make more progress." Draco drawled.

"You know, I still don't trust you." Weasley had his arms crossed and a defiant expression, stopping his search altogether.

Draco gave him a 'I don't care' kind of look.

_"Seriously?" _Hermione's disapproving tone caught his attention.

_"I thought you weren't going to help me?" _He commented.

_"Well, I wasn't, but I'm all done searching the top floor."_

_"And?"_

_"Nothing."_ He could practically see her drooping with disappointment. _"Although, there was that mean house elf, Kreacher, complaining as usual."_

"-I would punch you."

Draco turned his attention back to Weasley, brow raised. "Punch?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're in this bloody mess 'cause of you We even lost men."

Hermione bristled.

"Weasley, Hermione did tell you about the bond between us, correct?"

The ginger-haired boy had the audacity to look proud. "What of it?"

"She can hear everything you're saying through me." Draco felt more satisfied now at seeing the blood draining from his face.

_"There goes his brownie points."_ He said smugly.


	50. Chapter 50

The five of them reconvened in the family room after searching for a couple of hours.

"No luck?" Harry asked.

The others shook their heads side to side.

"Something did come to mind during my search." Hermione began. They all looked at her expectantly. She continued. "I think we should talk to Kreacher."

"The gloomy house elf who complains to his mistress all the time?" Ron muttered, clearly displeased at the idea of interacting with Kreacher.

"He would know what's been going on in this place." Hermione silently thanked Draco for his support, although he only did it to provoke Ron.

"Now that I think about it, he did mention something about having a new master, but I wasn't paying attention."

"If you are his master, if you call his name, he would apparate to you immediately."

"Of course Malfoy would know." Ron jibed in again.

"Shove it." Ginny hissed at him, clearly annoyed at her brother's immature attitude.

Ignoring the bickering siblings, Harry said a little loudly, "Kreacher."

With a loud pop, the house elf in question appeared before Harry, bowing low. "Yes, Master."

Harry's eyes were wide, but hopeful. He was about to speak, when Hermione pulled him aside.

"Harry we need to think about this carefully."

"What do you mean?"

"With all the things he's been commenting about to his mistress, do you really think he'll put any effort into doing what you ask?"

"Yes…" He hesitated. Shoulders drooping again, he asked, "What do you suggest?"

"I think you should make an effort to have him warm up to you."

Harry looked at the other three with reluctance and Hermione could see why due to the tension between them.

"Don't worry about them, we need to focus on our mission right now."

He nodded, eyes glimmering with purpose. He approached Kreacher and kneeling down, he asked, "Kreacher, how would you like to have dinner with us?"


End file.
